


The Best Battle Couple (or, How I Learned to Stop Caring and Summon Demons)

by crossroadspony



Category: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Battle!, Don't Look For Canon, Elezen Character, Emotions and Stuff, Gen, I'm making it up as I go, Nu Mou Character, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:53:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 45,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crossroadspony/pseuds/crossroadspony
Summary: A rambling tale of a couple of adventurers who are vaguely Final Fantasy-ish. Expect other fandoms to collide. A joint collaboration between two folks who decided to come up with the most shameless self-insert OCs of all time, mostly only for the reason of eventually meeting and annoying another OC lurking out there in the other Final Fantasy-ish worlds.Planned adventure, mischief and character development abound. Stick around if you enjoy delicious dialogue, relentless rapport and grievously gay shit.Also art. There's art. Links eventually??
Comments: 19
Kudos: 5





	1. I Started a Joke

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter contains:  
> \- Too many words  
> \- The origin story of Po'Nee Yesno, everyone's favorite Nu Mou  
> \- Too many curse words  
> \- A demon!  
> \- Completely bullshit Nu Mou lore that likely has very little in common with the actual canon  
> \- Douchebags  
> \- Granola  
> \- A virgin  
> \- Who remains a virgin even at the end of the chapter  
> \- The start of a sweet adventure for half of the world's greatest battle couple!  
> \- Gay shit

Po'Nee frowned as he shifted awkwardly at the back of the classroom. The instructor was quickly retracing the steps she'd taken to conjure a basic protective wall and he did his best to jot down notes with one hand as the other fiddled with his robe, the too-loose garment slipping over one shoulder despite his best efforts to keep it snug with multiple belts and straps.

The pink-and-green Nu Mou glanced at his nearest classmate, feeling sheepish that the other student's notepad was almost empty. In fact, Po'Nee was one of the only students writing _anything_ down. This was a very simple spell, after all, even for a Nu Mou that _wasn't_ talented with white magic.

He sighed and then winced as the teacher glowered at him. He was an easy target, considering he towered above most of his companions at five feet and three inches tall. That and the fact he was at least two cycles older than the majority of the class. This was his fifth time being shuffled to yet another division at the university for magical studies; each previous class had proven...less than successful.

In offensive elemental magic, he managed to set his desk, robes and instructor aflame, within a thirty second time-frame. He also shorted out the building's entire electrical grid in his attempt to help put out the conflagration.

In the class focused on healing magic, Po'Nee tried to seal a small paper cut. His classmate's arm was nearly completely severed and was saved only by the expertise (and quick reflexes) of the professor.

While trying to cast a basic transparent cube for the illusion class, Po'Nee somehow confined _himself_ within a solid box of energy. He was fairly certain the teacher would have let him suffocate, too, had the magic not sparked out of existence and dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor a few moments later.

The only thing he'd found some measure of success and aptitude for had been in the field of natural magic and summoning. He had his childhood to thank for that. He took to the course from the beginning and eagerly surged ahead with the class, to both his and his instructor's surprise.

As a younger child, many moons ago, Po'Nee successfully called forth a few entities purely out of boredom and loneliness. The small demons weren't exactly _thrilled_ with becoming the child's 'friends', but his intent was strong and his will solid. They were unable to harm him and were more or less forced to play along with the excited youngster.

However, it had instantly brought the wide-eyed Nu Mou considerable chiding and panicked overtures from the community. After all, Nu Mou summoners did not call upon _demonic_ entities, _that_ realm was for other, _lesser_ races. It was quite unbecoming of someone of his species to participate in the art.

...That hadn't stopped him from continuing his regular trips into the forest and practicing his curious exploration whenever he could.

Naturally, all that practice growing up made him absolutely _sure_ he would excel in the Summoning Division. Even if he wasn't a prodigy, there was no way he could fail...right??

Alas, during their first practical session of attempting their first real summon, the instructor initiated a campus-wide lock-down. It may or may not have been in a panic over the fact Po'Nee was excitedly calling forth a powerful demonic knight. The Nu Mou didn't even think it was that big of a deal -- he just wanted to prove he could do it, and show there was more to him than everyone assumed.

But instead of any variance of praise, Po'Nee was swiftly kicked out of the program and sent to one of the last remaining schools from which he hadn't yet been ejected: supportive magic.

Back in reality, when the teacher's eyes didn't continue past him, Po'Nee rubbed at his robe embarrassedly. Clearly she was waiting for his attempt. He shuffled his paws a bit, trying to to shrink into the over-sized garments. He'd been forced to buy his robes from a nearby village of humans since the Nu Mou shops rarely made anything for one with his dimensions. He was neither plump enough nor short enough for most locally-made clothes, forcing him to stand out even further.

He finally sighed and pushed his rolling desk slightly to the side, his soft purple eyes flicking around the room as he saw with a sinking heart that most of his classmates were all holding white-hued walls of energy in front of them with little to no effort. _Great,_ he thought to himself with a half-whine before he rubbed his hands together and then did his best to focus.

He murmured a few words purely to try and sharpen his intent and felt a rush of energy flow through his arms. For a moment, his eyes widened with excitement. Even his instructor leaned forward a bit from atop her high chair at the front of the class, arching an eyebrow in surprise. Po'Nee began to smile as a brief outline of a small but _definitely-still-a-wall!_ flickered into life before him.

...And then an instant later exploded into a deafening blast of light and sound that sent his desk flying across the room.

The students nearest him shouted in shock as their walls dissipated from the sudden break in concentration, one of the young Nu Mou stumbling to her knees as they all glared back at him.

"Po'Nee!"

The instructor's sharp voice cut effortlessly through the silence, a hot blade through butter. Po'Nee lowered his hands lamely, shrinking back even more as he wished he could simply disappear into his robes.

"This was the _most basic_ of our initial spells!" she chided, hopping down from her chair as the other students parted so she could stomp, unimpeded, right up to him. She was no more than four-two, but the way she jabbed her finger at Po'Nee while he winced backward might as well have made her a giant. "You were even given an additional week to practice! This is completely unacceptable!!"

"I, uh...sorry, ma'am," he mumbled, rubbing at his arm again. "I just...I just need a little more practice, I think. I really felt it this time!!"

"You're holding the rest of the class back," she replied brusquely. "Perhaps you are simply not meant for supportive magic. You are dismissed. I'm sure you will find your specialty soon. Within a _different_ division of the university."

"B-but...ma'am, this...is the last one I've been moved to, there _are_ no more others," Po'Nee replied awkwardly before blushing as a few of his classmates smirked at him over the teacher's shoulders. He lowered his voice in an attempt to try and preserve what little dignity he had left. "Could I perhaps come in for additional tutoring on --"

"Too busy!" She turned around, marching away. "I'll alert the dean. You may take your things and go!" And with a dismissive wave of her arm, she climbed back into her observational seat. "The rest of you! Let's do that again -- this time we will work to synchronize the height of our walls!"

Po'Nee swallowed thickly as he stared up at her for a moment. But the class had already begun to move on and he was left to awkwardly gather his notepad and pencil from where they'd scattered around his area. He shoved them into his pack before hanging his head and trudging through the door at the back of the classroom.

Perhaps there truly was no place for him here on this campus...

Po'Nee Yesno sighed softly as he pushed his shoulder into the double-doors that opened to the grand facade of the White Magic Studies building. There were no other divisions he could seek enrollment in, now. This had been his last hope to find some area of study at the university where he could gain the knowledge he needed to be able to strike out on his own and finally leave this place behind.

It wasn't even that his life was all that awful. Sure, he lived alone, but it was quiet. He liked quiet. His parents had spent the last ten years or so traveling the world, leaving him with the small house and little more than that, save the occasional parcel that arrived with just enough money to get him by. Even _before_ his consecutive failures with classes, however, they'd been less than present in his life.

He'd mostly been raised by the other adults in their corner of the village. But now that he was old enough, Po'Nee had come to understand that the reason they only _very occasionally_ came by to check on him was because none of them had wanted to be known as connected to or helping bring up such a strange outcast of a Nu Mou. If his size alone wasn't enough, the fact he was so notably useless at every form of acceptable magic certainly made him a natural candidate for social ostracizing. That was, of course, only made worse by his fascination with the demonic realm -- a subject that was the _opposite_ of an acceptable field of magic.

All these things combined did him no favors, even among the villagers he'd grown up with. They wanted as little as possible to do with the odd Nu Mou, and they _definitely_ didn't want him raised alongside their far-less-unnatural children.

Po'Nee slouched along to the bike rack where he'd chained up his too-small bicycle before class. As he approached it, he blinked and looked around before sighing and leaning down to pick up the remnants of his chain. He examined it in his fingers as his shoulders slumped a bit more. The ends of the destroyed metal links appeared to have been melted off...which meant...

He slowly turned around, eyes skimming the courtyard morosely. And a moment later -- there it was.

In a tree several meters away, he could make out one of the tires of his bike. Those classmates of his sure were getting good at their spells. Last time they'd only managed to manipulate a tree branch to wrap loosely around the frame, forcing him to hack the limb apart to free it. This time, the entire front half of the bicycle was lodged into the trunk of the gnarled tree. Apparently that one natural studies student was coming along quickly. Either that or she'd read ahead in her book and managed to get the spell just right. Regardless...

He reached up and poked at the exposed part of the frame, but it was obviously not coming free without some magical interference. His long ears drooped even further along his chest and he kicked at a patch of grass before mumbling and shuffling along to the entrance of the campus for the long slog back to his village.

It was typical for the average Nu Mou tail to drag along behind its owner, especially if they weren't running or doing something with excessive excitement. But the rut that Po'Nee's tail carved behind him as he slunk out of the town and onto the country path was a monument unto itself. Had it been raining, it would have been a serviceable irrigation ditch for the fields that stretched out on either side of the dusty road.

He passed the first few buildings that marked the entrance to his village, glancing up only briefly when a shopkeeper hollered to him. Alas, it was only the automatic impulse to yell a greeting to anyone that passed. Once the grocer recognized the Nu Mou, he immediately cleared his throat and stared in another direction before going so far as to wave and pretend to interact with someone else on the street that obviously did not exist.

It was fine.

Po'Nee was used to it by now. He didn't bother calling the guy out. It was pointless, anyway. He instead proceeded to navigate through the quietest parts of the village to try and avoid as many stares as he could. The younger children were still in their primary classes for several more hours, and his fellow nearly-adult villagers would be on campus until later in the day. It was becoming a regular, sad sight to catch Po'Nee returning to the village early, all by himself. Yet one more field of study he'd been kicked out of.

...Well, the sight was _semi-regular_.

"Po'Nee!!"

Po'Nee winced and fought the urge to pull the over-sized hood of his robe further over his features. He slowly looked to the right and spotted the owner of the voice, knowing he didn't have a choice even if he pretended otherwise.

Mano'Tet.

The middle-aged Nu Mou stood on his porch, one arm raised as a faint glow surrounded it. He was tending to his flower garden as he often did in the mid-morning hours, though he clearly did not need to watch his work as he fixed his pale yellow eyes on the sheepish ex-student without missing a beat in his rhythmic nature magic casting.

Mano'Tet's children were both at the university. The twins were prodigies in the healing arts and they had already been advanced to the next level of classes before the ink had dried on Po'Nee's formal ejection from the same division. And perhaps out of a sense of duty, he was one of the few elders in their village who still bothered to check on Po'Nee's well-being. It wasn't often, and it lacked any substance...but it was better than nothing, Po'Nee supposed.

"Where is your bicycle, young one?"

His voice had that damnable mix of patience and annoyance that was so prominent among the skilled leaders of their tightly-knit community, as if it was some secret rite of passage to learn to speak with passive-aggressive condescension before being considered a paragon of the community.

"Are you letting yourself be bullied again? And on that note..." Mano'Tet leaned forward while tilting his head down somewhat...although even standing on the porch, he was nearly at eye-level with Po'Nee. "Ah. Released from your studies yet again?"

Po'Nee shifted his weight quietly, kicking a paw into the dirt and shrugging a bit. "Yes, sir. And...uh. My bike is...I let. Someone else borrow it." He knew the excuse was lame but did he really need to make himself look even _more_ pitiful?

"Mmmm." Mano'Tet was obviously not buying it, but he also didn't seem to be concerned enough to press it further. "Well, you will find your purpose eventually." He turned to go back to his garden before pausing for another moment. "Do you have sufficient food?"

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, I'm alright," Po'Nee replied sheepishly as he swapped his knapsack to the other shoulder before nodding a brief thanks and continuing toward his small house.

"And young one!"

Po'Nee halted with another wince, looking slowly back over his shoulder. "None of that... _dark_ summoning! Those hellish cries are very distinct, and very loud!!"

Po'Nee nodded lamely again. "Y-yes, sir," he repeated in a mumble as he quickly hurried onward down the path. That was just what he needed. His one escape...his _one_ thing he could feel even remotely proud about. _Ugh._

Po'Nee stepped back from the glowing circle, hands disappearing into his too-large robe as his long tail curled silently around his legs. He never _had_ been very good about listening to warnings, for better or for worse. As he bumped into the couch, the Nu Mou stopped and then sighed quietly. With all the belts and straps removed from his robes, he looked like a too-young child attempting to appear older by wearing his parents' garments.

His knapsack was tossed onto the opposite end of the duvet and a half-eaten bowl of cereal was getting soggy on the kitchen table. A trail of his discarded belts connected the two rooms. It hadn't taken him very long to turn to his favorite past-time...and at least now he'd been sure to pull the shades down.

He whispered a few words and the rough tongue of demonic scripture mixed smoothly with the more lyrical voice of the Nu Mou language. And as he closed his eyes to focus...

" _WHO DARES SUMMON FORTH THE MIGHTY ABERATH? MY VISAGE ISss...wait_...oh, goddammit, are you...are you fuckin' kiddin' me, kid, _you again??_ "

Po'Nee opened his eyes with a tiny smile. A muscular beast stood in the middle of the intricate circle, surrounded by a tall column of dark purple light. The creature was vaguely lupine in its form, although the deep blue fur on its chest, legs and tail was replaced instead with armored scales of dull cerulean that gleamed in the luminescence of the runic summoning circle. "Hello, Aberath."

"Hello?!? Hell _no_ , ya little fucker, you gotta _stop_ this bullshit!" the demon protested furiously, throwing its arms into the air. "Now let me the _fuck_ outta here, you insignificant _shit!_ "

Po'Nee only shrugged and turned around to flop onto the couch, pulling his hood over his head. "Why?" he mumbled from under the fabric. "So you can tell me how stupid I am and what a failure I am, too?"

"Now _see here!_ " Aberath seethed as it lunged forward...only to smash its muzzle into the invisible barrier and stumble backward with a yowl. "Fuck! _Yes_ , of COURSE I will, _I'm a fuckin' DEMON_ , that's kinda my _schtick_ , kid!! Feasting on your misery and all that jazz!!" it retorted while rubbing at its sensitive nose and glowering through the column of light. "And _THEN_ I'll rip your guts out and feed them to you," the demon added mildly.

But the young Nu Mou didn't respond, simply curling up a bit on the couch as his tail wrapped around himself. After a moment, Po'Nee muttered: "I was kicked out of another class. It was the last course available. Also someone put my bike inside a tree. And I got yelled at for doing the one thing I like to do, before I could even do it. Although I guess I'm doing it now. Which means I'm not listening. I'm...I'm useless."

Aberath narrowed its eyes. "You _are_ useless, ya little fucker...so _let me the fuck out, or so help me!!_ " The demon slammed a fist against the translucent barrier before flashing a grin full of gleaming fangs and inhaling deeply. Po'Nee peeked out from under his hood and then lifted a hand from the couch as the wolf-like beast threw its head back and opened its muzzle wide to release...

...Nothing.

Its jaws were wide, and the magic enclosure binding it was vibrating from the power of the unworldly scream. The floor beneath the couch trembled...the walls of the house shuddered. But not a sliver of sound emerged as Po'Nee's raised hand held steady, giving only the slightest twitch from the effort.

After nearly half a minute, Aberath finally lowered its head to stare confoundedly at the Nu Mou. Po'Nee let his hand drop before he drew his arm back into his robes and gave a muffled grumble from under the hood. "Please don't. My neighbors already hate me enough."

The demon blinked stupidly. "Did...how...how did you..." Its voice was once more audible, which made the creature's jaw hang open in genuine surprise for a few seconds. "Holy fuck, kid," it muttered after a beat. "Useless, my ass." Po'Nee shifted a bit but didn't look out from under his robes as the demon continued moodily: "Okay, I'm impressed. Seriously. Who the fuck says you have no talent? And who the fuck threw your bike into a tree? You're like...a fuckin' behemoth among these short assholes, shouldn't you...y'know. Be able to just. Reach up and get the thing? Seriously?"

"No, it's...it's like. _Inside_ the tree," Po'Nee mumbled as he finally poked his muzzle out with a sigh. "And everyone says it, Aberath. I'm not good at anything I'm supposed to be good at. I...don't think I belong here."

"No, you sure as fuck don't," the demon grumbled, tapping carefully at the barrier of the circle. 'Also if you disrespect me one more time by acting like summoning _my_ kind is a disgrace, I'm gonna rip your face off. Now lemme out."

"So you can rip my face off?" Po'Nee replied mildly, using one finger to lift the hood so he could give a half-amused smile up to the demon. "I think I've had enough shame for one day without ending up...faceless."

Aberath rolled its eyes and crossed its burly arms while fixing the Nu Mou with a dour expression. "Listen, you idiot child. You and your mumbling ass have summoned me _multiple_ times with little effort. And that's just in the last few months. You were harassing demonic underlings while the other snot-nosed kids your age were playing in the dirt and making up imaginary friends. You _brought forth_ your _own_ friends. That's pretty fuckin' impressive, okay?"

Po'Nee sighed but finally pulled his hood back entirely and slowly sat up on the couch. "You're just saying that so I break the circle. But honestly, I'm not suicidal. Even if people think I am for messing with...uh..." He hesitated as Aberath glared down at him. "Your...your kind."

"Yes, I've come to the same conclusion," the demon replied snippily. "If you _did_ want to die, you wouldn't have been so careful with the protective additions you used in your summoning rites." It grumbled for a moment. "It fuckin' sucks to keep complimenting you, ain't right as a demon. Alright, listen, kid --"

"Po'Nee," the Nu Mou interrupted quietly as he looked back up at the demon from the couch. "My name is Po'Nee."

"Well, well, _well!_ " Aberath chortled, tilting its head and flashing a small smirk. "Look who just grew a pair. Fine, _Po'Nee_. Your name is fuckin' stupid, but...so be it." The demon grumbled under its breath but eyed the mortal measuringly.

Po'Nee hesitantly pushed himself off the couch and then approached the circle as Aberath dropped down to an awkward crouch, barely fitting his massive frame into a squatting position inside the tight circle. "Okay, okay. How 'bout this."

Po'Nee tilted his head curiously as the demon continued slowly. "You let me out, and I give you somethin' in return. A permanent ward. It'll be pretty fuckin' weak...I'm a fuckin' badass, but I ain't exactly a top-tier crafter. However, it'll give you some basic protection against _my kind_ , as you're so fond of saying."

Po'Nee bit his lip. "But...what's to stop you from killing the crap out of me the minute I let you out, then? And I mean...why are you suddenly being nice to me?" Despite his words, he still slowly placed a hand against the outside of the barrier while looking up at the demon owlishly. He'd made physical contact with demonic creatures in the past -- the lesser entities he'd summoned in his younger years were free of the ritual circle, prevented from harming the Nu Mou child thanks to the particular spells he'd used and the will he'd imposed onto them after drawing them up.

But such tricks didn't work for anything more powerful than the comparatively-weak imps and goblin-like beasts he'd called out those years ago. Aberath was a different story.

The aforementioned creature peered down at Po'Nee quizzically before sighing and rolling its eyes. From its squatted position, Aberath slowly placed a hand onto the opposite side of the translucent barrier.. It was massive compared to Po'Nee's, dwarfing the mortal's appendage entirely.

The Nu Mou could _feel_ the demon's presence through the protective shield. It called to him... _loudly_. He'd never come this close to Aberath. He'd always kept a respectful distance, even with the extensive additional runes he always utilized for safety. He wasn't sure what it was that drew him close, demanded that he make contact with the creature. But whatever it was...it was more than a simple demonic trick.

Po'Nee knew about those, at least from a very basic level. The ability of demons to influence mortals was legendary, though it always varied on an individual basis how much they could actually compel someone to do, and how much of their will was effective against the opposing mind and soul.

No, this was something deeper inside the Nu Mou that practically ordered him to throw caution to the wind and simply _obey_. And so...he did.

With a single spoken word and a mental release of the will he'd been projecting, the circle faded and their palms silently pressed together.

Aberath blinked. It hadn't expected the mortal to proceed so willingly.

Po'Nee stared...and then gasped. The electric warmth that ran up his arm as he and the demon made contact was breathtaking. He could feel his spike-like hair stand on end as the fur along his lengthy tail stiffened. His muzzle opened a bit and his eyes locked with Aberath's.

Aberath blinked again. Its instincts told it to betray the Nu Mou, to reach out and _hurt_ him. But the demon could not bring itself to do so. It too was influenced by the contact -- but instead of a rush of energy, the beast felt a tidal wave of emotions. Powerful emotions, emotions of fear and rage, hesitation and sadness, shame and loneliness.

Aberath was a demon, and demons _fed_ on emotions. It... _he_ could could feel his ever-hungering soul stretch as Po'Nee's barest, rawest emotions poured into him. The demon dropped to one knee, nearly falling out of his crouch. His eyes widened and he reached out with a hand to steady himself...but it didn't press into the floor. It clutched instead into Po'Nee's other arm.

He hadn't even seen the Nu Mou react. And Po'Nee himself seemed confused as he looked down at the limb he'd apparently shifted to catch the far-larger creature, saving him from an embarrassing face-plant. The two continued to stare at each other for a few long seconds before Aberath finally managed: "Wh...what _are_ you, Po'Nee?"

Po'Nee swayed a bit from the sheer amount of power he felt coursing through his veins, steadied by the demon as much as he was in turn steadying Aberath. "I...I think I'm a demon summoner," he whispered.

Aberath's voice caught in his throat as he clutched into Po'Nee's forearm and then at last gave a crooked smile. "Kid...I don't think there's any goddamn question about that," he panted, having to catch his breath as the overwhelming avalanche of emotions at last began to slow.

A moment later, the demon finally loosened his grip on Po'Nee's arm...and then unceremoniously fell back onto his ass. Po'Nee looked as surprised as he did and the Nu Mou dropped to his knees as the physical contact broke and at last he felt like reality was truly returning to him.

"Oh...oh my gosh," Po'Nee murmured as he leaned forward on his hands, his head bowed low as he tried to process all he had just experienced. "Was...what was...am I..."

Aberath gave him a bemused look in an attempt to cover up his own shock, resting back on one hand as he took up an almost _mortal_ position by stretching a leg out. He rubbed at his thigh slowly with his free hand, tilting his head just a bit. "I _could_ kill you," the demon admitted, which made Po's head jerk up and stare across at him fearfully. "But I ain't gonna. Somethin' about you..." Aberath shook his head briefly before grunting and gesturing to the Nu Mou. "Roll up your sleeve, li'l fucker. Promise is a promise. I owe you a ward."

Po'Nee blinked but nodded a few times as he shuffled a bit closer on his knees and slowly pushed the loose sleeve of his robe up to reveal his slender arm. "What...what are you gonna..."

The demon reached out and gently but firmly gripped the summoner's arm before placing a claw against the Nu Mou's hide. "What's your favorite color?" Aberath inquired.

"O-oh...I guess pur-aaah, _shit!!_ "

The smell of burnt flesh and singed fur filled the air as Po'Nee uttered what was very likely his first _real_ curse. "Oh, oh, oh, owwwww!" the Nu Mou wailed, squirming in the demon's secure grasp as tears rolled down his cheeks. "What the hell, Aberath?! Oh _gods_ it burns..." he whimpered, turning his head away as he tried to pull free.

Aberath only continued to hold onto the Nu Mou as he moved his hand away with a half-smile, looking down at the tearful summoner with a sigh. "You might have powers, kid...but goddamn, you're still a fuckin' baby," he muttered before reaching back to the sore spot on Po'Nee's arm to poke it with a brief glow of energy. "Is that better?"

Po'Nee trembled but quickly wiped his tears away with his other hand. He stared up at Aberath, though he received only a reassuring smile as the demon rolled his eyes again and inclined his head slightly toward the Nu Mou's still-steaming arm.

Po'Nee realized the pain was quickly fading as he hesitantly looked down at the mark that Aberath had seared into his bicep. Instead of blackened, scarred flesh within the edges of the burnt fur...it was instead a deep crimson. The symbol wasn't one Po'Nee recognized: two opposing spirals that unwound around one another to end in arrows that pointed in opposite directions. One up, the other down.

"B-but...I was...gonna say purple," Po'Nee finally blurted, apparently the only words he could think to form as he stared with awe as the odd symbol. "This is...red..."

"Sorry, kid," Aberath replied with an amiable shrug, shaking his head out as the energy faded from the numbing spell. "Toldja I wasn't no goddamn high-level artisan. 'Sides, I really only asked that to distract ya, ya li'l asshole." He snickered softly before prodding a claw lightly into the still-warm brand. "This mark should keep ya at least relatively safe from lower-level demons, and some mid-tier fuckers, even. It ain't much, but..." He shrugged again, seeming unsure of his own words. "I did promise. And yeah, demons ain't exactly the reliable type...all about that deception and whatnot. But an oath is an oath."

He released Po'Nee's arm and began to lean back, but the Nu Mou slid forward again on his knees to reach out and grab the demon's wrist. It earned him a slowly arched eyebrow and a small frown. The young summoner was not deterred, however. "Wait...you kept your word. But why not kill me _now?_ You...could, if you wanted, couldn't you? Nothing stopping you?"

Aberath narrowed his eyes but did not pull out of Po'Nee's grasp, instead only fixing him with a glower. "Of _course_ I could, you stupid little asshole...but why would you ever bring that up after _all_ this? You _sure_ you ain't suicidal??"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Po'Nee huffed softly. "I would have broken the circles long ago if I was. Right??" He tugged on Aberath's wrist, eliciting a snort from the demon. Now it sounded like he needed reassurance that he _wasn't_ trying to kill himself.

"Kid, I can't tell you why you do the shit you do," Aberath muttered, though his tone hinted at a note of gentility. "But...yeah, sure. You've always been careful. Weirdly fascinated with me and my kind, but...careful." The wide-eyed look said that Po'Nee needed more from him...but the demon was kidding himself if he even knew where to start. This young creature wasn't the first mortal to ever summon him, but he'd also never been called forth by someone so. _Naive_.

"I'm not gonna kill you because, frankly, you're a goddamn mystery, kid," Aberath finally explained as he shook the arm that Po'Nee continued stubbornly clutching. "You're not an idiot. Well, okay, you're _kind_ of an idiot, but it's not like you don't know what a demon like me could do to you. You just...I dunno. Your presence doesn't make me want to cut you into a thousand pieces and snort you through a straw. You got this _feeling_ around you. And we demons -- that's kinda what we're all about. We feel shit a million times more intensely than most mortals. So...yeah. I'm not gonna kill you. I'm gonna try to figure out what the hell to make of you."

Po'Nee nodded silently after a few seconds and then released the demon's wrist, reaching up to self-consciously rub a massive, drooping ear with a thumb. "Okay. Um. Thank you, Aberath. No one's really ever...said that to me." He glanced up when the demon remained mute, then realized Aberath's gleaming crimson eyes were studying him more intensely than usual. "...What?"

"Mm? Oh." Aberath rolled his eyes dismissively. "Cry me a river, Po'Nee the Baby." Po'Nee looked hurt for a moment before crossing his arms and instead forcing an offended facade. "Kid, you're the one who called _me_. You can't go fishin' up demons and then be shocked when we ain't all cuddly and reassuring and fluffy and shit. That just ain't how were built."

"I...I know," Po'Nee mumbled sheepishly. "It's just. It's nice to be looked at with something other than annoyance or mockery."

"Or pity," Aberath supplied with a small smile. When Po'Nee frowned curiously at him, he simply shrugged. "People sometimes think pity is a nice thing. Y'know. Makes 'em feel better, like a temporary escape from all the shitty emotions inside. But it's dumb as shit in my opinion. Don't be pitied. That just means they think you can't handle your own problems." The demon reached out to flick the end of Po'Nee's muzzle. "Makes you feel worse about yourself, even if ya don't realize it. Fuck pity -- give 'em a reason to _respect_ you, not pity you. Or hell, at least be scared of you."

"I don't wanna scare people," Po'Nee grumbled as he pulled the hood over his head.

"Yeah, that's why you're obsessed with summoning somethin' your _whole race_ looks down on like they all get nightmares of demons runnin' lose 'round their village," Aberath replied mirthfully. When Po'Nee huffed from under the hood, the demon grinned. "But eh, whatever. I guess your kind ain't exactly much for bein' intimidating, anyway. Fuck me, but you guys look like little fuckin'...puppy-lizards." Po'Nee glared up at him as the demon snickered and continued: "Seriously, you got these big ass ears, these big ass, long ass tails...you're all short as fuck...I mean, who _would_ be scared of you. Just sayin'."

"Ugh, you're a jerk," Po'Nee complained, even as he smiled a bit. Aberath did have a point. "But...a-anyway...uh..." He fidgeted and tapped a paw quietly into the wood floor. "I, um. I release you? Or. I mean. You don't have to stay here anymore, you can go back to, uh. Your. Place. Your home. I don't wanna keep you," he added with a lame shrug.

But the demon did not budge, merely crossing his arms and sitting up slightly. "Bitch, I ain't goin' nowhere. You brought me up here, you let me outta the circle. Now I'm gonna fuckin' enjoy some fresh air." When Po'Nee stared at him in bewilderment, the demon added succinctly: "Oh yeah, and we're gonna get your pitiful ass straightened out, starting with gettin' your stupid bike outta the stupid tree it's in."

Po'Nee's jaws worked open and shut a few times. "You...you're...going to _stay?_ " he spat out before immediately looking around at the windows in a panic. He _knew_ he'd closed all the blinds, but that didn't make him feel very reassured. "But...you're a demon, and...I'm a mortal. You...I thought you _hated_ this plane...and..."

Aberath grunted and pushed himself back up to a standing position, once more towering over the Nu Mou as he gave that familiar crooked smile. "Sure. You mortals are fuckin' _pains in my ass_ , with your petty shit 'n your complete disregard for the natural order of things. Not to mention how goddamn many of you are so fuckin' two-faced, you might as well start buyin' two sets of ball-gags for yourselves. But it's still a vacation from home!"

Po'Nee blinked stupidly, but before he could fully parse all that had been said, Aberath had already brushed himself off and headed for the kitchen.

Po'Nee stared after him for a moment, then chased the demon hurriedly. "W-wait, Aberath!" His stouter legs meant he had to almost run after the tall creature. "You can't...what if...what if someone sees you?!" Po'Nee fretted as he ran his hands through his stiff mane, biting his lip and staring around for any windows that might have been left uncovered.

"Then they see me," Aberath reasoned, jerking open the freezer door to peer inside. "It's not like they didn't see all those little imps you used to summon to force into being your friends, ya weird, lonely li'l fuck." The demon ran his fingers over the very sparse selection, making a face at a frozen bag of ice-covered meat and then lolling his tongue out with a dramatic gag as he found a stiff box of vegetables that were far too freezer-burned to be salvaged. "Fuckin' hell, Po -- how the fuck are you so tubby? There ain't shit to eat here!"

"I'm...actually skinny for my people," the Nu Mou mumbled while peering down the front of his robe and poking at his paunchy stomach through the fabric. "We're built...thick."

"Puppy-lizard-dwarves. Got it," Aberath replied with a chortle. He dropped down and opened the refrigerator to examine the selection there as well. "Goddamn, kid, thought you told me before the other families helped you out. This shit is unacceptable, and that's comin' from someone who literally don't gotta eat to survive!" The demon pulled out a carton of milk and shoved his nose into the top to sniff at it before shrugging and guzzling deeply from it.

Po'Nee stared up at him yet again before rubbing awkwardly at his shoulder. "It's okay. I make do," he responded quietly, then grunting in surprise as Aberath shoved the milk carton into his chest. He held it lamely against his robe and then winced as the beast tossed a few too-soft apples over his shoulder so they splatted loudly into the sink. "Hey!!"

"Demons aren't supposed to care about flesh-and-blood assholes like you, kid, but _fuck_ , this is sad as hell," Aberath remarked. He at last produced a few eggs that looked acceptable enough and he spun one easily on the edge of a claw while peering at Po'Nee. "You tell anyone else about this, I'll chop your balls off before you even get a chance to use 'em," Aberath threatened with a slight smile.

Po'Nee grumbled and returned the milk to the fridge. "How do _you_ know I haven't used them?" he huffed while watching disbelievingly as Aberath dug through the cabinets, leaving each one open until he found a pan and then slapped it onto the stove. "Also, you're...you're going to cook?"

"I'm a demon, not an invalid," Aberath replied cheekily. He twisted the knob for the gas, then spat a tiny ball of flame to ignite the burner. As it roared to life, he smirked down at the Nu Mou. "Also, _please_. You think I can't smell the virgin in the room?" He jerked a thumb into his bare chest. "Demon, remember?"

"Still a jerk," Po'Nee replied with a blush under his pink fur as he went around to start closing all the cabinets. "Is this...is this what other demon summoners do? I uh...I don't really have a good way to learn what I should know. I'm...I'm not even supposed to _do_ the whole summoning thing..."

Aberath gave an outright laugh as he took the eggs and neatly cracked them open on the edge of the skillet. "Kid, I can tell you with _absolute_ certainty that having a fuckin' home-cooked meal with a summon ain't exactly normal...even if it _ain't_ a demon. Can't imagine most of those stuck-up demi-gods those white-ass bitches call up to help are gonna stoop down low enough to share a bite." He paused and then shrugged. "Then again, neither would most demons. But I'm startin' to feel responsible for you, ya dumbass, so..." Aberath glanced down at the stunned Nu Mou before grinning and using a bare claw to start scrambling the eggs. "Anyway. You can eat, then we go get your bike and we kill the shit outta whatever jerk-ass puppy-lizard-dwarves did it, and then...well..."

Po'Nee blinked stupidly. "Wait, we can't... _kill_ anyone!!"

Aberath snorted and put a hand on his hip. "What, you aren't _friends_ with any of these fuckin' bullies, are you?"

"No, but...they're just students like me!"

"You're an _ex-student_ , if I recall," the demon corrected through a chuckle. "But _fine,_ fine. We'll just kill whoever was supposed to be takin' care of your wimpy little ass. Fuckers did a shit-poor job raising you. And speakin' of which -- you barely talk about your parents, kid. I know they ain't dead, so...what gives??" Aberath fixed Po'Nee with a pointed look as he stirred the eggs again, then began opening all the cabinets once more to find a plate.

Po'Nee shifted uncomfortably and then sighed. "They've...just been traveling, that's all. For...you know. A long time. A few years. Six or...maybe ten..." He huffed quietly. "And do you have to open every darn cabinet? You could just ask me, I _know_ where the plates are..."

"Te... _ten years?_ " Aberath half-shouted in disbelief. "Fuckin'...you _serious_ , Po? Yeah, okay, that's settled, we're killing _their_ asses, instead. Fuck that, I get that you ain't some prodigy with magic like all the other brown-nosed brats in this joint, but fuckin'... _really?!?_ "

"I'm not killing my parents," Po'Nee replied flatly. "Look, they just...they just aren't a part of my life, okay? So. Whatever. I've gotten along so far without them, and with the help of the other families, so...it's fine."

"Uh huh. Gettin' along _just fine,_ " the demon droned while scraping the scrambled eggs out with a claw onto a plate. "Here," he grunted, shoving the dish at the Nu Mou. "Eat. Then we go get what's yours. And we'll see if I feel like evisceratin' anyone."

"I...I can't just go walking through town with a demon at my side," Po'Nee mumbled even as he awkwardly took the plate and then went to the table to sit down, his long tail curling silently around the chair's legs. "I already get enough looks as it is. Plus, you know. Someone might...attack you. And hurt you."

"They can certainly _try_ ," Aberath scoffed, yanking out the opposite chair and dropping into it. He looked even more massive in the nu-mou-sized furniture. "Anyway. You don't think I got ways of stayin' outta sight from the nosy fuckers you live with?" he intoned, crossing his arms over his muscular chest and half-smiling. "Now stop frettin' and feed your pitiful ass. I don't fuckin' make eggs for every little shit that calls me up." Aberath paused. "In fact, I've never made eggs for _anyone_. _Ever._ "

"Then...how do you know how to--" But before he could push for answers, a fork materialized in Aberath's hand and the demon unceremoniously shoved it into the Nu Mou's muzzle.

"Shut it. Eat."

Less chastised and more bewildered by the strangely _relatable_ behavior of the demon, Po'Nee turned his attention to the eggs and scooped a bit into his maw. Even without adding pepper or salt, they were surprisingly palatable. He wasn't going to venture a guess as to what gave them such a delightful natural taste, but he was willing to be he'd be yelled at for eating it the same way he was yelled at fur summoning demons in the first place.

The small meal was quiet; Po'Nee continued to cast curious looks across the table at his companion, while Aberath seemed torn between looking him over musingly and taking in the surroundings of the compact house. No words were exchanged, though plenty was still traded silently between the odd pair.

As Po'Nee finished his eggs, a thought crossed his mind. He only knew as much about demons as he'd been able to research on his own, having only books from the library and the occasional tale from an out-of-towner as his points of reference. He'd spent lots of time 'talking' to Aberath...but to be fair, most of their earlier conversations were less pleasant. And a lot more one-sided.

The demon would often yell curses and insults at him while Po'Nee rambled shyly about his days and the troubles he faced and how miserable he was. They rarely ever _conversed_ , let alone discuss what Aberath was, what other demons were like. He didn't know what to expect, he didn't know what Aberath could do -- hell, he didn't know he could _make eggs_ , let alone spit fire or numb pain on someone else's body. There was suddenly a whole world of questions that the Nu Mou wanted to ask.

He swallowed the last bite of the eggs and then self-consciously wiped at his muzzle. "S-so...Aberath?"

The demon arched an eyebrow. "I ain't gonna clean your dish for you, I'd say I've been more than gracious enough already, kid."

"No, no, not that," the Nu Mou huffed quietly, picking up the plate and fork and hopping out of the chair to take them to the sink. He tossed an ear over a shoulder automatically as he placed the items into the basin, then turned back to the bemused creature. "I just...there's so much I don't know. I was only able to call on you in particular because I've read your name in a book before. But...how do demon summoners learn about this? What...what are demon summoners _supposed to do?_ What...what can _you_ do?"

"C'mon, Po -- I can't fuckin' teach you how to be a summoner. I don't even know the fuckin' details, myself...all I know is once in a while, some asshole calls me up top, usually to fight something else, or kill someone else, and that's fuckin' the extent of our communications." When Po'Nee gave a hurt look, Aberath rolled his eyes and added amusedly: "What did I say about being a baby? Don't take it fuckin' personally. And to your credit -- you've never once asked or demanded anything of me. You just...summon me up and then cry."

"I don't cry!"

"You sometimes cry. You cried when you told me about that kid that tied your ears together."

"...Yeah but that was a traumatic experience..."

"Still counts, ya little bitch," the demon retorted with entertainment. "Point is, I ain't got the demon summoner's handbook. You either gotta go read a bunch of boring books, talk to a bunch of douchey fuckfaces, or..."

Po'Nee frowned and stepped forward, wringing his hands together quietly. "Or what?"

Aberath smiled slightly and leaned down to tap the young creature on the end of his muzzle. "Or do what you've already been doing and figure this shit out for yourself, kid. Which I personally think is the way to go. Ain't no one ever stood out by doin' what everyone else did."

Po'Nee tilted his head a bit and shifted on his paws for a moment. Aberath's words meant a lot more to him than he even knew how to express. "Okay, then" he finally murmured with a sheepish smile. "I guess...that's what I'll do. I uh...yeah. Maybe I can just get a job somewhere in town and...start figuring out how to do more summoning."

Aberath half-smiled. "A job, huh? Yeah, alright, sure. But stop tryin' to get around the damn subject at hand, kid. We're gonna go get your stupid bicycle back because those little shits need to learn they can't be _little shits_ to every wimp that crosses their path."

"Are...are you calling me..."

"Ya _kinda are_ ," Aberath replied mildly before gesturing to the door. "Let's go!"

The Nu Mou stared at him blankly. "You...but you're..."

Aberath rolled his eyes and then with a brief flash of light, the wolf-like creature burst into a plume of dark smoke. Po'Nee had only an instant to try and process what he'd just seen before the column of smoke twisted toward one of his arms. He stared mutely as it writhed up across his limb like a translucent snake, disappearing into the sleeve of his robe and flowing into the loose garment effortlessly.

He felt a combination of cold and warm all at once, shuddering as his fur stood on end. He could sense the tendrils of demonic essence tickling along his other arm, down across his torso and over his thighs...and after a moment or two, it almost felt like he was wearing a snug undershirt that hung past his knees.

Po'Nee looked down at his hands incredulously, whispering: "How...how did..."

"Stop dawdling, Po. We got a bike to get back."

Po'Nee jumped in surprise as Aberath's voice trickled into his ear, as if he were standing just over the summoner's shoulder. Po'Nee turned around instinctively and then blushed as the demon added drolly, "You're embarrassing yourself. And technically me, too. I'm right here. Around you. All over you. There's...really no way to word it so that it doesn't sound weird...so..."

"I get it, I get it," Po'Nee mumbled as he took a few awkward, stiff steps forward. "It's...I just don't...how are you..."

"Walk normal, kid. You ain't gonna break me any time soon," Aberath's voice noted dryly. "And before you ask -- no, not all demons can do this. Ain't even really a rank or power thing, just more like...some of us can, some of us can't. I can. And now you ain't gotta worry about anyone seeing me. Now _let's go_ , I'm itchin' to see this dumb town you live in..."

Po'Nee grumbled quietly. "Okay, okay. This is just..."

"Weird. Toldja it was weird," Aberath supplied as the Nu Mou reached for the handle and slowly pushed the front door open.

"That's putting it mildly," Po'Nee whispered as he stepped outside and shoved his hands into the pockets of his too-large robes. The demon was silent as he plodded through the overgrown yard and back toward town. It was hard to describe, but he could almost _feel_ the transformed demon looking around from inside his hood. He had no way of visually confirming it, but something simply _told_ him that Aberath was still more than capable of examining their surroundings as they went.

They soon passed Mano'Tet's house. The older Nu Mou was still on his porch as if he was waiting for the opportunity to continue passively chastising Po'Nee. Mano'Tet frowned over the wooden railing disapprovingly as he passed. "And now where are you off to, mmm?"

"Why the fuck does he care?" Aberath growled, making the young summoner widen his eyes and flinch.

"Sorry, sir!" he blurted, which only brought a confused frown to Mano'Tet's features.

"Sorry for what?" Mano'Tet replied slowly. "What have you done _this_ time? You haven't _again_ burned the food your neighbors are so kindly providing to you, have you??"

"N-no, sir, not at all!" Po'Nee answered hurriedly, looking baffled as well.

" _Kindly providing?!_ Oh, this short fat fucker's about to get his arm fuckin' ripped off and shoved up his own ass," the demon seethed, and Po'Nee again stared in horror...before realizing the elder wasn't reacting to the sharp words.

Aberath's voice snickered from inside the robes. "Oh, yeah -- he can't hear me, by the by. I told you I have ways."

"Yeah, well... _would have been nice to know ahead of time!_ " Po'Nee hissed back before smiling lamely and waving at Mano'Tet. "Everything is fine, sir. I'm, uh. Just going to go get my bicycle back. From. The kid who borrowed it."

Mano'Tet raised an eyebrow. He did not expect Po'Nee to _actually_ go stand up to whoever stole his bike...since he _knew_ he hadn't let anyone 'borrow' it. "Mmm. Don't raise any trouble in town. I would very much like to not have to come and retrieve you from the temple again."

"Yes, sir," Po'Nee mumbled as he lowered his head and quickly shuffled onward.

"I would ever much like to not listen to his fuckin' voice anymore," Aberath muttered in a dark, mocking tone. Po'Nee could feel the smoky essence shifting across his body as if rolling with the demon's mild fury. "Yeah, I know, 'no killing', but Po...I got my _goddamn limits_ ," Aberath added moodily as they bustled toward the entrance of the village and onto the dirt road.

"I appreciate you not murdering the people who...well, even if they haven't done much to raise me, they're still...there. At least. Sorta."

...He didn't realize how difficult it was to defend the actions of the families that had been looking after him these past years. Having to do it aloud felt odd...and a bit like he was perhaps somewhat grasping at straws. "Okay, I know they haven't been the best guardians. But I still don't want to _kill_ them, okay?"

He felt what amounted to a shrug from the demonic mist swirling slowly under his garments. "It's apparently the day where I don't give any fucks, since I'm gonna let you have your way, ya fuckin' baby."

"Gosh, thanks," Po'Nee replied under his breath.

Whether he recognized it or not, Po'Nee's strides were longer, his movements more purposeful. He walked with more self-assurance than usual, even his long, thick tail hovering occasionally above the dusty road. It was with a surprised blink that he walked past the iron-wrought gates of the university far sooner than he expected.

He shook his head briefly and instead focused on the quickest path to the tree that held his bike. As they strode through the main courtyard, Po'Nee was by and large one of only a few Nu Mou out and about. They'd managed to time the trip so that most of the classes were still mid-session, leaving Po'Nee (and his hidden companion) mostly alone.

That did not stop Aberath from commenting on every other soul they _did_ pass, however.

"Pff, look at _that_ kid. What _is_ that robe he's wearing, he looks like a fuckin' cultist. Talk about an anti-chick magnet."

"Those...those are actually robes that signify an extremely high class rank. He's one of the most talented water mages at this school..."

The demon snorted disdainfully. "Yeah, well. He looks like a fuckin' bitch. Who sacrifices babies in the moonlight. That's _our_ thing. And oh, look at _that_ guy!!"

"That's a girl. Well, a...lady, technically. She's an assistant to the master of the Healing division."

"...Well, she looks like a fuckin' teenager who should try out for the wrestling team. Do you little fuckers even _have_ wrestling teams? Do you have _any_ sports other than 'Don't Touch Me, I Bruise Easily'? Either way, he--"

"She."

"... _She_ would be your fuckin' top contender, probably gonna take your puppy-lizard-dwarf team all the way to number thirty-nine. Outta forty."

"Jeez, that's just plain mean." Po'Nee hesitated briefly. "Well. She... _did_ laugh when that one kid tied my ears together."

"Yeah, alright, so she's a cunt, too, got it."

"You're really judgmental, Aberath..."

" _Demon._ "

Po'Nee pulled his hood around his head a bit more. Even if no one else could hear the wispy cloud of demon, the Nu Mou was awkwardly concerned about having Aberath's words overheard. Or worse -- if he was heard having a heated one-sided conversation with himself.

Except that the more Aberath talked, without regret, without hesitation, without any _filters_...the more Po'Nee was...well. _Envious_. Something about the freedom with which the demon expressed his thoughts was enticing. He wanted to learn how he could be less afraid to be bold with his words, to say what he was thinking and not what he was simply _expected_ to say. But Po'Nee suspected it would be a bit of a stretch to imagine himself so free with his speech. As it was, he was already blushing from the severity of the demon's scathing remarks, even though he was the only witness to them.

When he finally made it to the tree, he was both embarrassed and relieved to find the rear half of his bicycle still visible, jutting out from the tree trunk. Apparently the ones responsible for the little prank hadn't decided to release his bike between classes. He sighed but glanced around the smaller courtyard, at least glad to find no one else there with him. He could live through his mortifying situation by himself.

Before he could ask Aberath his thoughts, Po'Nee gasped at the sudden sensation of the befuddling aura slithering across his belly, up across his sides and toward his shoulders. He held his arms out instinctively, staring at the ends of his too-long sleeves as the demonic smoke billowed out into a column that slowly formed into the familiar shape of the wolf-like creature. Po'Nee's eyes widened and he whipped his head around again in concern. "Aberath!! You're...you're becoming visible, you're gonna get seen!!"

"Oh, calm yer tits," the demon replied with a dismissive wave. "Seriously, you doubt me so much, it kinda hurts. Didn't I tell you I could hide my ass from you fuckin' mortals?"

"But...I can see you," Po'Nee awkwardly responded while shifting his weight. "I'm still a mortal, right?"

"Most fuckin' definitely," Aberath fired back with a grunt as he placed his hands against the small of his back and arched his spine with an audible crack or two. "Ahh, that's better...fuck me, haven't gone smoke-form in a while. Shit's hell on your back..." The demon straightened and then clapped his hands together as he spun on his heel. "Now then...lessee what we got here..."

At the far end of the courtyard, a student paused and slowly lifted his head from the book he was reading to stare in Po'Nee's direction. Po'Nee stared back and then realized that even _without_ seeing the demon...the sight of a Nu Mou standing next to a tree with a bicycle stuck in it was a little odd. Especially if that Nu Mou was the notorious resident dunce of the school. Po'Nee waved slowly, trying his best not to look too weird. The other guy blinked once before quickly hurrying away, leaving Po'Nee to sigh and shrug. Whatever. It wasn't like he was great at making friends to begin with.

Po'Nee turned his attention back to Aberath as the demon reached out to poke the tire of the bike. "Fuckin' hell, pipsqueak...I know you ain't much for exaggeration but I _still_ didn't expect to actually see this shit...you know. Buried in a tree."

"I _told_ you," Po'Nee complained as he began to pace back and forth, glancing away for just a moment as another student gawked at him. "Yes, hi, I know I was kicked out of class, it's okay, I'm just getting my bike back!" he yelled across the courtyard.

The distant Nu Mou made a horrible face before quickly charging off to the next building. Po'Nee sighed as his shoulders slumped a bit. "Jeez, it's like...they _want_ to hurt my feelings. I get it, I'm not the most magically-inclined member of the tribe but...they don't have to --"

"Kid...I love ya, but gonna need you to _calm your ass down_ so I can focus on this stupid tree," Aberath commented from behind him. Po'Nee blushed and nodded, his eyes shifting back to the task at hand.

"Sorry, sorry," the summoner mumbled before he tilted his head a bit. "So...are you going to just...teleport the bike out, or...maybe open up the tree? Or..."

Aberath prodded the bark a few times. "Yes. Maybe," he replied absently, which made Po'Nee blink a few times.

"Which...which one?" the Nu Mou inquired hesitantly.

"I haven't decided yet!" Aberath huffed as his tail flicked irritably. "Gimme a sec..."

Po'Nee ran a hand through his stiff mane before playing quietly with one of his ears as he did his best not to fidget. Aberath walked around the tree, studying it and stroking his chin in thought while occasionally reaching out to tap on some part of the trunk or at an exposed piece of the bicycle. The Nu Mou was starting to feel bad for doubting Aberath's resolve. It seemed clear that he wanted to help, considering all the care he was taking to examine the situation.

Finally, Aberath grunted in satisfaction and gave the Nu Mou an exaggerated thumbs up. Po'Nee blinked owlishly. "Um. So...you can get it out?"

"Oh yeah, totally. I'm gonna go with option B. Opening the tree," Aberath reasoned as he stepped up to the trunk and placed his hands on either side of it. He glanced over his shoulder at Po'Nee and smiled slightly. "You should probably stand back. Y'know. For... _safety_."

"O-okay?" Po'Nee replied slowly. He wasn't sure why -- maybe Aberath was afraid of a loose branch falling down and smashing into him? But he dutifully took a few steps back and noticed another two Nu Mou staring at him from further down the sidewalk. He realized if his bike was suddenly going to be freed from its prison...he should probably at least try to make it seem like he was the one doing magic, not some invisible force.

Po'Nee held his hands up and pretended to concentrate even as his eyes widened a bit at the sight of Aberath's body glowing a deep crimson, nearly the same hue as the creature's eyes. The Nu Mou watched with no small excitement as the same unnatural light spread over the tree trunk as the very air hummed with the demon's will. He continued to try and make it look like his hands were causing the glow, but it was safe to say he was too busy watching to mimic properly.

A broad smile spread across his muzzle as he waited for the tree to split open, or perhaps simply for the bark to part like the jaws of a beast overfed, seeking to expunge some undigested bit of food. Po'Nee wasn't entirely sure why this whole bicycle-retrieval project had become such a big deal. He supposed his bike was important to him -- it was more than just a vehicle, it was a place of solace. It gave him a way to escape, to have some time to himself. And it represented the thought that he was never stuck, even if he never actually _acted_ on that. It was always there in the back of his mind. The potential of rolling down a new road one day.

The humming grew louder and the air began to vibrate with energy, leaves falling from the tree as the sidewalk under Po'Nee's paws trembled...until suddenly a massive explosion rocked the courtyard.

Po'Nee yelped as he was nearly knocked sprawling, barely managing to keep his footing as the heavy _thwomp_ shook the ground beneath them. Smoldering bits of wood rained down in the thick haze of black smoke, small arcs of red energy sparking around Po'Nee and his demonic companion. Po'Nee coughed and waved his arm wildly in front of his face, squinting ahead as Aberath awkwardly stepped to the side and revealed...a crater.

Where the tree stood seconds ago was now just a smoking heap of charred bark and the hollowed-out stump. Branches were flung in a radial pattern around the explosion, some scattered as far as the opposite end of the courtyard.

And then with a pitiful _crash!_ the melted, twisted heap that was once his bike suddenly smashed down into the remains of the tree, sending embers and sparks out over Aberath's broad chest. Po'Nee squawked and leaped backward before staring in a mixture of horror and incredulity. The mangled mass of still-glowing metal was hardly recognizable, save for the one remaining tire that slowly spun on a cracked axle. "My...my bike..."

Aberath cleared his throat awkwardly and put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, uh, again. Toldja I wasn't very good at crafting spells. But hey!! It's not not stuck in the tree anymore, right?!?"

Po'Nee slowly turned his head toward the demon with a bewildered expression. "You...you asshole!" He attempted to follow-up the unexpected curse, but a cry from the gathering crowd interrupted him.

"Oh no, the _drop-out_ is back...and he summoned a bigger demon this time! Somebody get the white mages!!"

Po'Nee spun around to find a small gaggle of students and instructors all staring and pointing...not at Po'Nee, but at the towering creature behind him, still posing casually as if everything was _just_ fine. Po'Nee's eyes bulged and he quickly twisted his back back to Aberath and gave a strangled half-whisper, half-shout: "I thought you said you could hide from mortals?? I thought you were _invisible_ to everyone but me!!?"

Aberatth cleared his throat again. "Oh yeah. Yeah, that was a lie. I mean, I can _totally_ hide my presence sometimes. Especially in the smoke form, but uh. Yeah, no, that was bullshit. I've been visible this whole time." He winked and fired a pair of finger-guns at Po'Nee before raising his voice to address the gawking crowd. "Hey there, ya little mortal fucks!! This little bastard is my friend, yeah? And y'all been treatin' him like a real fuckin' pile of shit for _way_ too long...that shit ends _now!!_ "

He stomped forward to emphasize his words, and the entire group flinched backward. Aberath smirked and crossed his arms before tilting his head slightly at the distinctive crackle of..."Oh fuck!"

The demon ducked his head just before a bolt of holy energy whizzed past him and smashed into the remains of the smoldering tree at his back. Behind the crowd, one of the professors was striding forward with a furious expression, her hands raised as she prepared another spell. "Oh, these bitches just gonna jump straight to holy magic, okay, no, that's cool," Aberath muttered as a bit of smoke trickled out of his muzzle. He clenched his hands into fists as a dark red glow began to cover his muscular body...only for it to fade as he blinked in surprise at the sensation of Po'Nee grabbing his wrist.

He looked down dumbly and met the summoner's eyes for a moment. Po'Nee shook his head once, his gaze pleading with the demon. Aberath frowned immensely, instinctively shifting to the side again to avoid another blast of white magic as his muzzle wrinkled with distaste. "Oh...fuckin'... _fine_ ," he muttered. "This is gonna make you feel like shit, so...hold on."

He dropped down to a squat and easily scooped up Po'Nee into one arm, holding him against his broad chest. The young summoner blinked in confusion but automatically wrapped an arm around his companion's neck as Aberath once more growled at the ranks of Nu Mou around them. "Let it be known you fuckers are still breathin' only 'cause I ain't had time yet to make this badass li'l fucker into more of a badass. I hope every _one_ of you chokes to death on your own fuckin' dicks, even if you ain't got one." And with that, he thrust a middle finger into the air before the gleam around his body intensified into a blinding flash.

With a mighty whip-crack powerful enough to send the nearest students stumbling backward, the demon and his summoner disappeared from the courtyard, leaving only a small patch of smoking grass where Aberath stood an instant ago.

The summoning circle still etched into the living room of the quiet house sparked once...then again...before another loud _crack!_ broke the silence of the empty abode. One of the nearest windows shattered from the reverberations of energy and a moment later, Aberath appeared in the middle of the circle with Po'Nee still held securely to his breast.

Steam rose from the demon's body as he grimaced and stretched his free arm out slowly. "Shit, been a while since I did th--aw, shit...shit, shit, not on me, _not on me!_ "

Po'Nee's features were pale as he retched and the demon quickly grabbed him under his arms and turned him away just before the Nu Mou vomited to the side. Aberath sighed in relief even as he made a small face. "Dammit, I worked hard on those eggs," he mumbled as Po whined and wiped slowly at his muzzle.

Po'Nee's tail hung down limply, matching his ears, while his entire body trembled a bit. Aberath winced and turned the summoner back toward him to examine his features briefly. "Uh...yeah, toldja that kinda sucks. It...gets better? Maybe? Sometimes?"

The demon paused before scowling. "Then again, I'm sure whatever...time-magic-specialists there are among your shitty, mean people can teleport or blink, and presumably _they_ don't throw up every time. Or. Or maybe they do? And it just absolutely sucks to have that be your specialty of magic? 'Cause fuckin'...ew."

Po'Nee looked like he might be sick again and Aberath quickly set him down with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Vertigo probably ain't helpin'. You uh...you okay, kid?"

The summoner managed to hold it in as he nodded weakly, eyes bulging for a moment before he stumbled over to the couch and half-fell into it. "Ow...my...everything hurts. What...was that? You can teleport?"

"After a fashion" Aberath replied, crossing the magical seal without issue -- when Po'Nee released him the first time, all the power of the runes was negated, making them merely an intricate symbol on the floor. Po'Nee was too busy trying not to retch again to notice the way Aberath's tail dragged behind him, his features sallow and nearly as ashen as Po'Nee's himself. "It's extremely draining...and I can only teleport back to the last place I was summoned. At least on this realm..." He waved a hand tiredly. "Back on the demonic plane, teleporting is less work than walking. Fuckin' teleport everywhere. I teleport to the front door to get my pizza."

Po'Nee's vision was a bit blurry, his hearing a bit fuzzy. He swayed as he listened to Aberath, trying honestly to comprehend what he said. The only think he could manage, however, was a slurred: "Wait there's pizza for demons what."

Aberath smiled slightly as he leaned down and gently caught Po'Nee by the face before the woozy Nu Mou could fall forward and tumble off the couch. "Goddamn, you _are_ a little weak-kneed fucker," the demon murmured, even if his tone betrayed a hint of what might have been grudging affection. "Just...sit. Catch your breath. Gonna get you some water 'cause as much as I'd love to let you sit and rest..."

He didn't need to finish the statement to make the implication clear. Po'Nee gave a dazed nod and flopped back against the couch with a quiet groan as the demon stumbled off to the kitchen.

Aberath rubbed at one of his ears slowly as he exhaled slowly and took a moment to lean against the refrigerator. It was already becoming damnably easy to drop his guard around Po'Nee and expose the weakness that almost every demon was predisposed to fight tooth and claw to conceal. Once again, there was simply something about the so-called 'failure' of the community that resonated with Aberath and made him willing to behave in ways he never imagined, _especially_ for a mortal.

Even now, he realized with an embarrassed frown that he wasn't trying to hide his exhaustion from Po'Nee due to any kind of self-preservation or pride. He was doing it because he didn't want the little asshole to worry. How _very_ undemonic of him.

He sighed and dropped his arm before searching through the cabinets for a glass. He suspected that it wouldn't take the villagers long to come to Po'Nee's home in search of him. He didn't really think them capable of doing much to the young Nu Mou other than perhaps sequestering him for a time for his 'unbecoming behavior'...or at worst kicking him out of their village. It wasn't a _crime_ to summon demons, based on what Po'Nee had rambled about in his previous long-winded complaint sessions. But it definitely went against the traditions of these little closed-minded bastards, and Po'Nee would only face more ostracizing and negativity.

...That, and if the punishment _was_ to be kicked out, Aberath didn't want _them_ to do it to the summoner. He wanted Po'Nee to make that decision on his own.

Aberath carefully plucked a glass off a shelf, being as delicate as his enormous hands allowed. He trundled over to the sink to fill it with water while making a small gap in the blinds to peer through. So far no mob. That was good, at least. He smiled slightly to himself while making his way back to the living room. Perhaps none of the Nu Mou assumed they'd be _stupid_ enough to return to Po'Nee's house? Whatever the reason, he'd take whatever leeway fate decided to offer them.

He returned to find Po'Nee still pressed back into the couch, though his features looked less pale and weakened. The demon offered a small smile and held out the glass of water.

It was impossible not to look a bit surprised when Po'Nee gestured to the cushion next to him, his eyes full of both confusion and appreciation. This time it was the demon that shifted his weight and stared aloofly, muzzle half-open. He sighed a moment later and sat down next to Po'Nee, practically forcing the glass into the Nu Mou's hands. "There. I'm sitting next to you, you _giant baby_. Now drink some water and, uh. Figure out what you wanna do next."

He didn't want to _push_ Po'Nee to decide. Normally it was simply a demon's _way_ to try and influence certain decisions...but he was now on a path with this strange mortal that would likely see Aberath doing _many_ things differently from usual.

Po'Nee clutched into the glass with both hands and finally tore his eyes away to look down at the water. He could just make out his reflection in the rippling surface, looking about as weary and confused as he felt. What a day it had already been. He shook his head once before taking a long, deep drink from the water.

He could feel Aberath's gaze on him and when he lowered the glass from his muzzle, he glanced up to meet the demon's eyes. Po'Nee squirmed briefly and then sidled closer to press silently against the beast's side. Aberath arched an eyebrow but did not protest. And after a moment, the demon sighed and then lifted his arm to wrap it around Po'Nee's shoulders.

That was nice.

Po'Nee blushed under his pink fur, glancing down again and sipping from the water. Several mixed emotions ran through him. He thought back to all the shocked faces from his classmates...to the explosion, that _raw_ show of power...and then the way Aberath had...

Not just the way he spoke bold words in Po'Nee's defense, but how he put himself in danger to protect him. The way he'd scooped him up and held him close and whisked him off to safety. The Nu Mou's heart thumped, his throat feeling dry despite the water. A thousand thoughts raced through his brain, and it was purely on some deeper, animalistic level that he reacted by crawling into Aberath's lap and leaning up to press his muzzle against the demon's, his half-empty glass tumbling to the floor and rolling away as water spilled everywhere.

Aberath stared down in muted shock around the unexpected kiss, his arms lifted to either side as if trying to avoid clutching into the young summoner currently wrapping his arms around his neck and working their jaws together. "P-Po'Nee, whoa, whoa," he protested in a muffled voice, making the Nu Mou blink and pull back with an awkward expression. "What...what're you doing, kid?"

Po'Nee swallowed thickly and then suddenly seemed to realize what was happening, immediately clutching into one of his ears sheepishly. "O-oh, I...I don't...I don't know, I just..."

Aberath gave a half-smile in an attempt to ease the uncomfortable situation, carefully placing both hands on the smaller male's shoulders. "Fuckin'...hell, we got a lot to teach you. Most demons would fuckin' take advantage of this in a heartbeat, you...you gotta be careful." He paused and then held up a finger. "Also, you're, uh...so you're...what. Bisexual? Gay? Not fuckin' sure?"

Po'Nee attempted to squirm out of the demon's lap, but Aberath gave him a pointed look. He rubbed at the back of his neck and remained in place, his cheeks flushed. "I...I like guys, I think. I kissed a boy a couple of years ago. I, uh. I liked it. Um. Yeah. S-sorry, I just..."

"No, no, I get it, just...ain't the time or place, kid. Plus you got a _lot_ of emotions runnin' through you and...yeah, let's not. Make a mistake that one or both of us are gonna regret." Aberath scratched at his chin before venturing slowly: "So...the opinion of your people on this...?"

"Oh, it's...not a bad thing or illegal or anything," Po'Nee mumbled. "It's just sorta...looked down upon, I guess. Nu Mou are always big on propagating the species, preparing the next generation and all that. And since...you know. Same-gender couples can't...make more Nu Mou...it's. You know..."

"One more reason to get put on the fringe of your weird-ass society," Aberath concluded dryly. "Okay, yeah, I get it. Anyway, I don't judge. Fuckin'. Pretty much everyone fucks everyone else on the demonic plane, so. Yeah. Whatever, kid, you do you -- let's just...you know. Maybe get you a fuckin'...mortal to your first, huh? I dunno, just so you don't...fuckin'. Die in your attempt to lose your virginity."

Po'Nee blushed more furiously than before as Aberath finally let him slide out of his lap. "Um. Yeah, that's. Yeah. That's probably a good idea," he replied lamely before he suddenly stiffened up. "Wait...shit..."

"You're gettin' better at cursing already, at least," Aberath interrupted with a chuckle.

Po'Nee huffed but looked almost...proud, even as he continued quickly: "We...you're in danger, Aberath, and...ugh, they're just gonna be _so_ mad at me. Damn. I can already hear it...they're probably gonna figure out I'm back here soon and..." He started to pace in front of the couch as the demon watched him in silent amusement. "I...I don't..."

Aberath leaned forward a bit.

"I don't think..."

The demon watched Po'Nee intensely, his muscles taut with unabashed eagerness that the Nu Mou failed to notice.

"I don't think I want to stay here any more..."

 _There it was_. Aberath grinned broadly and leaped off the couch, rubbing his hands together energetically as the life seemed to course back into his exhausted body. "Good, 'cause this fuckin' place sucks ass, and you're better than these fuckers are ever gonna give you a chance to realize...so c'mon. Let's hit the fuckin' road."

Po'Nee blinked in astonishment, taken aback by the beast's excitement. "You...you think that's a good idea, honestly?"

"Fuck yeah I do!" Aberath responded cheerfully as he started rummaging through the nearest closet to find a large traveling bag, which he tossed out into the middle of the floor. "And you're in fuckin' luck 'cause I'm the goddamn _master_ of blazin' new trails, I'm all _about_ those new experiences. So c'mon! Get the shit you wanna take...whatever fits into here and your gay little backpack -- I mean that in the fuckin'...gay-as-lame, not gay-as-gobbling-dicks way, don't fuckin' worry -- and let's get the hell outta this goddamn place."

Po'Nee stared wordlessly at the demon for a few seconds before a smile spread hesitantly across his muzzle. "O-okay, yeah." He nodded once and then repeated himself with more confidence: "Okay! I'll go get a few things from my room! Um...whatever spare coins I have are in a bag on the kitchen table, so...if you wanna grab those and...anything else you see that you think I would be good, I'll be right back!" He disappeared into a small side room, still smiling as he found himself experiencing honest excitement for something; it was a sensation altogether rare for him outside of when he'd started summoning.

"The little bitch is already ordering me around, huh?" Aberath commented to no one in particular, grinning slightly. "Heh. Alright, then." He spotted the small sack of money and snatched it up with a shrug. He had zero interest in mortal money, and so it got tossed into the travel bag. The demon hummed to himself while poking through the various drawers and cabinets in the combination dining and living room, though he found little of value or interest. Po'Nee's parents hadn't exactly left him with much to fall back on should anything happen to them on their travels. Even the 'fine china' that was tucked away into a dusty display case hardly warranted a second look.

He did, however, snag an atlas from one of the shelves, as well as a book on basic magic spells.

Aberath was well aware that Po'Nee's talents lay in summoning, and a very _specific_ type of summoning, no less. However, he knew that the young soon-to-be-adventurer couldn't rely on that as his only talent. Summoning required concentration, memorization and a _shitload_ of energy. Even the seemingly limitless resources of a youthful Nu Mou would be tested with any kind of serious summoning, particularly if he was calling forth entities that weren't as _friendly_ as Aberath had grown to be around him.

And perhaps Po'Nee was capable of small advances in other areas, too. The demon was willing to venture that the competitive, high-expectation atmosphere of this asshole culture probably meant that a lot of focus on simple, basic magical abilities was passed over in favor of jumping directly into the more complex fields. Mortals -- so fuckin' _nonsensical_.

As Aberath shoved a few spare linens into the bag (one could never have too many cloths while traveling the world...), Po'Nee emerged from his room with an armful of clothes. The demon looked up and studied the pile thoughtfully. "Huh. The fuck -- do you fuckers _only_ wear robes? Like...what the fuck do you relax in?"

"Um...more...comfortable robes?" Po'Nee answered slowly. "I mean, it's not like we don't have things like, uh. Shirts, or pants, or even _shorts!_ It's just not, well. It's not common and I didn't really have anyone who ever..."

"Yeah, I got it," Aberath replied with a grunt, shaking his head and then pausing with a frown. "Wait. Do you...do you little bastards wear anything _under_ those robes? Or was I just fuckin'...hovering over your junk while you raw-dogged my smoke form?"

Po'Nee nearly tripped over his paws, eyes bulging before he cleared his throat awkwardly. That was more than a sufficient answer and Aberath snorted amusedly. The Nu Mou flushed in embarrassment as he started shoving the robes into the bag. "I mean, they _make_ undergarments and stuff!! It's just...well, normally it's warm enough and. It's just what everyone does and. You know."

"Oh, I know, alright. I know your race is a buncha _weird, repressed fuckbaits_ ," Aberath remarked.

"We're not... _repressed_ , there's no limit to what you can say or enjoy or anything," Po'Nee fired back defensively, only to shrink slightly as the demon scowled at him. "I mean, okay, there are _some_ things that aren't looked upon well, but. You know, as long as you adhere to the guidelines and stuff, you can be...whoever you want."

"Yeah, I can see how there's a total openness of expression," Aberath muttered. "Kid, you got _so_ much to learn about true freedom. But don't worry. Demons are fuckin' boss as shit at stretchin' every possible hint of freedom out as goddamn far as possible." He grinned and then snapped his fingers. "Oh shit, almost forgot! You fuckers gotta eat, right?"

"Y-yeah, that's...that's sort of a big deal for mortals," Po'Nee replied slowly.

"Look, man, not gonna assume that maybe you just _enjoy_ the act," Aberath snickered. "Mortals do weirder shit for kicks. Like I said -- I ain't gonna judge."

"No, we're not _demons_ ," Po'Nee mumbled as he headed to the kitchen to pack up whatever bits of food still seemed salvageable enough for packing away. "I...I still can't...I don't know where we're going or...what..."

One of Aberath's pointed ears swiveled toward the entrance of the house and the demon half-smiled. "Well, you're 'bout to get an opportunity to explain it yourself," he noted kindly before he winked and ducked into the Nu Mou's bedroom and out of sight.

Po'Nee blinked confusedly before a sharp rap at the door made him jump. "Po'Nee Yesno! You come out here this instant!"

Mano'Tet.

Po'Nee rubbed at his muzzle nervously, looking desperately back at the hallway leading to his room but seeing only the drab wall. "Dammit..." he mumbled. He winced when a second series of knocks echoed through the kitchen, and the young summoner called out in a strangled voice: "Okay, okay, I'm coming!"

He shoved some granola and containers of rice and seasonings into a plastic bag, placing it on the counter and then approaching the door while taking a deep breath.

As soon as he opened the door, the elder Nu Mou glowered up at him and jabbed a finger into his over-sized robes. "Now _see here_ , young one! I received a message from the university that you and some...some _demon_ that you summoned -- despite _all_ my warnings!! -- made an absolute _disaster_ of one of the courtyards! And what's more, they say that the demon _threatened_ the students, and even engaged in combat with one of the --"

"He was just standing up for me!" Po'Nee blurted out.

The interruption left Mano'Tet frozen in place, his jaw hanging open. This very well might have been the first time the untalented _child_ had ever raised his voice to him, let alone show _any_ kind of confidence. Mano'Tet sputtered briefly and then attempted to continue his disapproving rant: "You will _respect_ your elders, young Po'Nee! That is _no way_ to speak to one of the _only_ ones here who has gone out of his way to ensure you are taken care of and kept well! Now, then! Whatever it is you have been doing, you will stop _immediately_ and you will come with me to--"

"No."

"--visit the dean and apol...o...gize... _what did you say?_ "

Po'Nee swallowed quietly but jutted his chin out defiantly. "No. No! I'm _not_ , 'cause...'cause I'm leaving!"

Mano'Tet blinked in surprise, then barked out a short, unamused laugh. "Whatever twisted lies that demon spoke to you are just those, you _idiot_ child! Misleading untruths! What do you think, that you'll just...pack up and leave? On your own, with hardly a gold piece to your name? Mmm?? Of course not! Now, come." He reached out and grabbed Po'Nee's sleeve, tugging on it firmly.

Po'Nee trembled as he took a step forward, purely out of blind, obedient habit...before he halted in place and made Mano'Tet stumble when the taller Nu Mou stood his ground. The elder whirled around with fire in his eyes, but even as he opened his muzzle to break into a tirade, he found himself staring at...a chain?

Po'Nee had taken the key hanging on a thin chain by the door and thrust it out before him, his features pale but determined. "I'm leaving," he half-whispered, half-insisted. "And I'm no child anymore. I'm done being... _whatever_ it is you all thought I was. A burden, a waste, a failure...I don't care, I'm _done_ with it. Take it. Take this house, do whatever you want with it. Tell my parents whatever you want. I don't...I don't _care_ anymore."

Mano'Tet seemed unable to do much more than stare. He could not even bring himself to reach for the key, and so Po'Nee simply released it so it dropped onto the porch in front of the elder's paws.

Po'Nee looked down at his hands and then back at Mano'Tet. "I...I'm leaving. I'm leaving now. I don't know where I'm going or what I'm going to do, but...but I won't be here." He licked his lips before nodding once. "Thank you for what you did for me." A moment of hesitation. "You...for what it's worth, you did at least... _try_ sometimes to make an effort. But I know I never meant anything to you, not like your children, not like the other children in the village. And. It's fine." He took a deep breath, drawing himself up to his full, straightened height as he felt a silent but confident strength ignite in his belly. "It's fine, because I'm ready to move on."

Mano'Tet remained silent.

"Goodbye, sir. I wish all of you the best."And with that, Po'Nee shut the door and left the speechless elder alone on the front porch

...It was a bit of a silly gesture, considering he'd just given the guy the key to his house...but it was a gesture nonetheless. Po'Nee felt sickened, yet simultaneously invigorated. It was goddamn _terrifying_ to think he'd just stood up to such an imposing figure in his life, but holy _shit_ it felt good, too.

Before he could be overwhelmed, the Nu Mou grabbed the bag of food and hurried back to the living room, trying his best not to hyperventilate. This was it. He was doing this. No turning back now.

Aberath strode out of the side hallway with a smile that could only be described as approving. "Alrighty then, Po'Nee," the demon murmured, his voice jarring Po'Nee out of his shock. "Fuckin' proud of you, kid. Let's get the fuck outta here."

Po'Nee nodded silently in agreement as he zipped up the traveling bag, slug it over a shoulder and then grabbed his knapsack. "We...we can go out the back. There's a way out of the village that way and. We can...you know."

"Avoid all the awkward stares?" the demon suggested with a chuckle while brushing his claws gently against his bare chest. "Yeah, fair enough. I'd say you've done goddamn better than I coulda imagined for your first time swingin' your dick around. C'mon, then."

He opened the door that led into the even-more-overgrown backyard, smiling as Po'Nee gave a determined nod and walked under his arm, moving about as fearlessly as he could into the tall grass. Aberath left the door open with a shrug, following the Nu Mou as Po'Nee made a beeline for the narrow trail that led into the woods bordering the rear of the village.

There were no shouts from behind them as they made their less-than-dramatic escape, but Po'Nee wouldn't have heard them, anyway. His eyes were locked onto the path ahead, his ears mute to everything but the thudding of his own heart. He didn't know what the _fuck_ he was doing...but he knew that for the first time in his life, he was going to be doing whatever it was _his_ way.


	2. My Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the other half of the soon-to-be-greatest battle couple in the world! Elvy belongs to [Lady Vossler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Vossler), who is the co-creator of this story as our two intrepid and shameless OCs muddle their way through whatever FF-ish world this is.
> 
> This chapter contains:  
> \- Depression  
> \- Well-named NPCs  
> \- More depression  
> \- Overcoming depression??  
> \- Shedding metaphorical skin  
> \- NO shedding of actual skin...*yet*  
> \- The development of a new, fantastic, possibly-useless magic that is nonetheless unique as fuck!

Quiet footsteps approached the lonesome, pacing figure in the darkness. Flashes of crimson fabric were just visible in the low light as the tall individual stalked in a tight, frustrated pattern, their features masked by the dusky luminescence of the party's campfire in the distance. Much like a cat attempting to find calm in the reassuring movement, they did not look up as their party member paused nearby.

It was clear, however, that the pacing was doing little to soothe their flustered state.

"You really shouldn't let them get to you," the white mage advised from his position a few feet away from the rut in the ground carved out by the relentless pacing.

The red mage finally glanced up to glare at Grass. His white robes almost seemed to glow in the dark woods, and his words felt as if they matched. Unnaturally illuminated letters spilling out across the darkness, bolstered by their own self-assurance as if they _knew_ how important they were, how _right_ they were. Except Elvy didn't find them so reassuring.

"Easy to say when _you're_ not the one they're trying to hurt," the red mage growled, pivoting sharply in their pacing and sending the tattered red cape fluttering dramatically around them as they stormed once more away from Grass.

The white mage folded his arms and tilted his head to one side, giving the sort of look a disappointed teacher might give a student acting out of line. "You should try to be the adult. Don't stoop to their level. Take the high road." He arched an eyebrow when Elvy snorted. "Acting like this is only going to show them that you care about their behavior, which will just encourage them to do it more."

He wasn't _wrong_. But it was the way he said it. The way he intoned that he knew what he was talking about, and it was up to the red mage to sort their emotions out and just _deal_ with it. Elvy stopped mid-pace, spinning on their heel and fixing the healer with a hard expression.

Their glower did little to move him. He only looked back dourly as if Elvy were simply a misbehaving child that would eventually realize their mistake if he waited patiently enough.

After a few moments of the silence spinning out between them, Grass sighed and unfolded his arms. "Look, just. Come back to camp when you've cooled down. You need to eat. And the rest of the party will come around. It's never easy being the new one in the group."

Except Elvy _wasn't_ even the newest party member. That loud-mouthed bard had joined them only one town ago...and she was already adept at tossing out jeering taunts and working Elvy's blunders into her ballads. She liked to _pretend_ it was all in good fun, the same way that she ribbed the others, except it never felt that way. The jabs at the red mage were relentless. And she was no better than the rest of them, no matter how much she acted like the jovial friend to all.

Elvy continued to stand silently as Grass turned to make his way back to the fire. Their thoughts spun in their head, twisting and looping violently around themselves. Elvy knew a part of themselves demanded they feel grateful. Having a party was the best way to get out of where they had come from, to see the world and further their training, even if their time at the program tailored for red mages hadn't exactly left them on desirable footing. So to have such a low ranking and still be accepted by a group should have been a blessing...right?

...It didn't feel that way. Not even the party's healer, the level-headed and emotionally-stable Grass, made Elvy feel grateful. Just because he had never personally insulted them didn't make him a treasured companion. If anything, his patronizing intentions made Elvy realize all the more how fruitless their attempts to fit in and perform well truly were.

"You don't care..."

The red mage spoke the words flatly and the night swallowed them up. But the truth rang out despite the way the words melted into nothing. They _didn't_ care. Not Grass. Not a single one of them. Elvy was alone in the darkness. No one else heard the words, and no one else saw the tears.

Elvy's voice was shaky, trembling with realizations that were still unfolding in their mind. "Then..."

They trailed off, the thought left unspoken, undeveloped and incomplete. But it was enough to make Elvy _think_. And then without another word to the dark, lonely night, the red mage twisted away from the distant campfire, and they started to run.

The bar was depressing.

It wasn't likely any _more_ depressing than your average tavern, no. But it was where Elvy had found themselves after fleeing their party. And therefore it felt the way Elvy felt.

A depressed red mage in a depressing bar. At least the whole situation seemed fitting, with the sheer lifelessness of the establishment..

Elvy slumped into the chair, staring at the mug of bland, generic beer as it warmed to room temperature on the scratched table. Even the bubbles floating to the top seemed depressed, their ascent sluggish as if they, too, harbored little desire to press onward.

 _I could start drinking this...keep ordering drinks until I'm numb,_ they thought. Elvy reached out and wrapped one hand around the mug, making the amber liquid slosh against the sides. _I could just keep drinking. Day after day. Week after week, so the numb never leaves. I could live that life instead of this one..._

They sighed and nudged the mug a bit further away before leaning back and crossing their arms silently. They glanced up after a moment. Still the same bar with the same patrons from the hours before. Elvy wasn't the only figure sitting alone and staring at a mug. Several other patrons sunk into chairs and stools by themselves, dotting the bar as they all locked their eyes with tankards holding various amounts of the same cheap beer.

A few less-lonely individuals were clustered in small groups, though a lack of conversation still permeated their tiny communities. They were simply organized in their silence.

Elvy sighed again and looked down at their hands as they rested on the pockmarked table. Just like the furniture's surface, their hands were not perfect. The cuffs of their jacket weren't perfect. Their worn pants weren't perfect. _Nothing_ about Elvy was perfect, was it?

_I don't want this. Why am I here? Why I can't I just...be what I'm supposed to be?_

The depression loomed, fiercely, more oppressively than before. The mage did not turn away from it, though -- Elvy faced it, acknowledged it. They were tired of giving it more power.

_Okay, so I'm not the best red mage. Maybe I'm not even an average red mage. But don't I still deserve something good?_

They brought their hands closer together, eyes locked onto them. And between their fingertips, a spark appeared. It was small, but it was _there_. It grew a bit, as if it was the start of a fire spell, but it never grew into a flame. It merely flickered...but how brilliantly it flashed and gleamed!

The brief but intense burst of light brought a smile to the young person's lips. It felt good. It provided a _feeling_. And feeling _something_ was better than nothing, they realized.

Their eyes lifted again, examining the dreary, heavy atmosphere of the bar. A room full of sad people, all some shade of grey or another. Nothing like the prismatic spark of _life_ they'd created.

_I don't belong here. Maybe...I don't belong anywhere..._

Out of some old instinct, Elvy scratched the back of their hand lightly. The nails dug gently into the skin...the slightest flex would bring them down into the flesh, creating small dents. It was a practice the red mage had steadily weaned themselves out of over the last several years. It was too easy to be lost in its comfort.

But it also reminded Elvy of something before all the gloom and self-loathing. And seemingly out of nowhere, a different feeling began to well up inside them. It seeped out from beneath the depression and slowly surrounded it, rising along its dull, towering facade, then overwhelming it entirely. Their eyes widened a bit with a new glimmer of life and Elvy suddenly scrambled for their coin purse to slam down the money for the untouched beer before shoving backward from the table.

_I don't want to be here._

Their stride was determined through the bar, even as the room seemed to close in with each definitive step toward the door. The heavy atmosphere almost clutched at Elvy's jacket before they shoved their hands into the door and pushed out into the cold night. The red mage closed their eyes and gasped in a breath of the sharp, clean air as the door shut behind them, locking the oppressive aura securely inside the walls of the nondescript bar.

They inhaled slowly again and then looked back at the small, unassuming tavern. Even the windows suggested there was barely a flicker of life inside -- only the faintest streaks of light filtered through the dirty, shaded glass.  _That,_ Elvy thought firmly to themselves,  _is not me. Is not_ for _me._

Their hands trembled slightly and Elvy closed their eyes again, focusing inward. The depression might have been swallowed, but the  _hesitation_ was powerful. Doubt was everywhere, all around them.  _The...former_ red mage took one deep breath...and then another.

_I will find my own place. I'm not normal, I've...always know that. So. So I can't expect to fit into a normal job._

Their eyes opened again and showed a new glimmer of determination. Elvy twisted away from the tavern and, with a flourish of the slightly-tattered red cloak, they began to walk down the street to try and leave the uncertainty behind them.

Their state was nearly manic as their boots clicked sharply on the sidewalk. Elvy tried to think about what made them happy as they kept their head down, staring at the ground yet seeing through it.

What made them  _ happy? _

It was a simple question, and yet it wasn't. The implications were difficult to parse; after all, knowing what made you happy didn't necessarily yield a way to live a happy life. People liked to claim that doing what you loved was the easiest way to live a good life...but those people were usually already in a place of contentment. They weren't attempting to escape a painful reality that had been built from an even more painful past.

And so Elvy just kept walking and thinking. Now that their head was finally clear, they could start to ponder what they truly were... _ who _ they truly were. Normally there was always some pressure to fit in, to try and perform and not let down whatever group they were with. There had rarely been time to think of themselves.

An hour or so passed before Elvy was stirred from their reverie by bright laughter. They shook their head and blinked before lifting their gaze across the street. Just ahead was another bar, and the red mage almost continued...before noticing the individuals that were laughing.

Elvy paused and tilted their head a bit. These revelers weren't laughing drunkenly, slumped against one another and barely maintaining consciousness -- they were genuinely happy, truly enjoying one another's company. The air around them was light and felt cheerful. Just a glance of these people made Elvy feel more welcome than anyone else in the entirety of the previous bar.

The chattering throng of party-goers stood beneath a brightly-lit sign: The Whorse Stables. The letters were decorated in neon, the colors outlandish yet welcoming as they cast a cheery glow across the dark street. Glints of colored light flashed off some of the outfits worn by the patrons and Elvy found themselves almost  _ smiling _ at the eccentric garb. Their eyes locked onto the gleaming rhinestones and sequins -- some might have called them gaudy, but Elvy was fascinated and delighted by the sight. 

They immediately paused to consider this impulse. Elvy knew what they liked. Was it simple? Perhaps. Did that matter, though? No. No it didn't.

Elvy thought back to the spark they'd made almost without effort back at the other bar. That happy, colorful little flash. And an actual smile slowly parted their stony expression as they nodded once and crossed the street, lacking the once-omnipresent hesitation.

The time at the Red Mage Academy wasn't for nothing -- even if things didn't work out well for their results, even if they couldn't flawlessly cast all the spells their classmates had after graduating, they had still learned the basics of magic. They knew  _ how _ magic was formed, didn't they? And who said that the only spells allowed were the standards? 

Elvy wasn't a standard individual...why should they feel confined by the same boundaries as everyone else??

Perhaps, with a bit of work and effort, the spark before the fire could be the answer they were looking for, to reach the future they  _ needed _ . 

Elvy blinked in surprise when one of the bar's customers turned to greet them cheerfully at the door. The tall reptile might have been imposing if he wished, but his expression was one of honest friendliness. The Bangaa lifted his cocktail and then smiled encouragingly before returning to the conversation with his party.

The decidedly-no-longer-a-red-mage felt themselves smile again. Such a strange but welcome sensation! They nodded back and made their way to the bar. All around them were scenes that felt like polar opposites to the previous tavern. Even those individuals seated by themselves were smiling as they nursed their drinks. No one looked depressed, no one looked like they were just trying to escape the real world.

In one corner, a different kind of reptile with membrane-lined wings was laughing and dancing on the table while his companions cheered and pumped their arms encouragingly. In another, a Nu Mou with rosy cheeks who had probably had one too many drinks was giggling with his muzzle in his hands, watching rapturously as a Moogle across from him excitedly told some tale, arms swinging around for emphasis. The Moogle had on a vest that left most of his torso visible, and the garb was decorated with countless gems and bits of decorative metal, catching the light of the multicolored lamps that kept the establishment bright and energetic.

Now  _ this _ was a place where Elvy finally felt at ease. With a hopeful smile, they sat down at the bar and looked around as ideas began to flow freely into their mind. The future finally looked like something worth chasing.

Elvy spent a lot of time in and around the unique bar, sharing their thoughts with the other patrons and the outgoing bartenders while slowly building a new base for themselves. And soon, they found their own spark...and more. They realized they could have their _own_ magic. Unique to them, perfect for their lack of normal skills. Just because Elvy wasn't a stellar red mage didn't mean they had no other skills, after all!

Their exterior changed, too. The ratty red mage attire wasn't discarded, but improved over time. Elvy found a new happiness in working with their outfit -- who knew costume design could channel so much of their creativity?! And with time, they developed a new look that fit them, not just physically but emotionally. It also decidedly aligned to their newfound branch of magical manipulation -- not white, not black, not red. The magic they developed was something special to them, and they soon had the clothing to match.

As the days went by, Elvy kept a journal of their theories. Notes on new magic they pursued and created were jotted down, ideas for the future went onto the pages as well. It didn't matter if the spells were powerful or perfect. They were  _ Elvy's _ spells, and that alone was enough to push the young spellcaster forward.

Soon, they would find real confidence again. Not the naive confidence of childhood or a dewy-eyed newcomer to the academy. This was the honest self-assurance of someone that knew what they wanted from life and was actually  _ doing _ something with it. And with this boost of esteem, Elvy started to take on jobs and quests again, ready to wander the world once more. They didn't have a new party yet, but that was okay. They would know the right companions when they met them. For now, it was time for  _ them _ to prove who they had become.


	3. Out of the Frying Pan (and Into the Fire)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Po'Nee and Aberath hit the road and promptly wander into a quest way above their level. Luckily someone a bit more competent is already there wrasslin' the beast. What an opportune moment to bond!!
> 
> This chapter contains:  
> -A behemoth  
> -The truth behind Ether  
> -Shiny-ass magic  
> -Sad-ass Nu Mou  
> -Pissy imps  
> -Trudging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, and as promised...art! We got us some sketches of our two heroes (and one snarky demon) at this early phase in their lives!  
> Here's Elvy:  
> [](https://planetelysium.com/lone/elpo/elvy_03.png)  
> And Po:  
> [](https://planetelysium.com/lone/elpo/Po_early_01.png)  
> And Aberath!  
> [](https://planetelysium.com/lone/elpo/Aberath.png)
> 
> Aight, enjoy the update!

“Holy...crap...I-I mean...shit,” Po'Nee panted as he leaned against a fence post, wheezing and clutching at his chest. “Screw you...for destroying...my bike...”

Aberath rolled his eyes and crossed his arms impatiently. “Seriously? Bitch we've only been walking for like two hours. I can still smell your creepy-ass village from here.” He paused and then jabbed a finger toward the miserable Nu Mou. “Also, your cursing still needs work. Don't force it, makes ya sound like some schoolkid who just learned how'ta say 'fuck' and keeps tryin' to force it into everything he says.”

Po'Nee huffed but didn't argue, turning around so his back rested against the fence. He was _ not _ used to this much physical activity. He wondered how  _ anyone _ got around without a bike or car or some other vehicle – how was it there were all these tales of travelers roaming the world, undertaking quests, saving hapless kingdoms...yet not a single one mentioned a taxi or a bus or even a damn scooter?

...He was starting to think maybe there were some truths being stretched in those stories.

“Okay, so tell me again why you can't just...magic us where we need to go?” Po'Nee complained as he rubbed at a stitch in his side. “I'll never get used to your teleport if you don't do it more often with me!”

“You think you're cute, kid,” Aberath remarked. The demon glanced around – he'd been out and in plain sight ever since they left the Nu Mou village, mostly because they hadn't passed very close to anyone else. And at worst, well. He was just a...summon. A weird summon. Sure, they could go with that. “Anyway, like I said before. It wears the shit outta me. _And_...if you're serious about wantin' to go out 'n start doing adventurous shit, you gotta learn how to fuckin' walk more'n a few miles without gettin' all winded 'n shit.”

“And that's another thing!” the young summoner announced loudly, obviously not wanting to hear the demon's words. “There is _no way_ in hell all those...groups of people doing quests and stuff travel the world like _this_. How do they ever have the energy to fight anything? Like if something came out of the woods _right now_ and tried to eat us, we'd be screwed! And we don't even have that much gear, just two bags!”

“Kid, you don't think Ether just _somehow_ gives you fuckin'...magical energy, do you? That shit's basically just adrenaline. Mixed with hard illicit drugs. You mortals are so dependent on your damn substances.”

Before Aberath could continue, however, a crackle of branches sounded from the nearby thicket. Po'Nee tilted his head curiously as Aberath frowned, ears pinned back slightly while he sniffed at the air. He opened his muzzle to speak a warning, but was cut off by a voice ringing out from within the treeline.

“You ate my target, _you bitch!_ ”

Po'Nee took a moment to digest what he'd just heard. It came from the brush to the side of their path, and it wasn't quite what he expected to hear out in the middle of nowhere. “Um...do you think we should --”

Aberath interrupted brusquely: “ Anything that  _ eats _ someone else's kill ain't somethin' we're gonna mess wi--”

The demon's dismissive warning was in turn trampled by a loud crash as a behemoth tore through the foliage as easily as one might rip into a silk curtain. It was immediately preceded by the flailing form of a humanoid that arced through the air to land heavily in front of the beast, rolling a few times from the momentum.

Po'Nee and Aberath stared stupidly as the grumbling figure slowly forced their way back to their feet before all three of them winced when the gigantic beast reared onto its hind legs and roared its dominance. The trees around it quivered from the raw force of its call, and it lasted long enough that the pointy-eared person had time to glance back and notice the demon and Nu Mou...along with the fact they were  _ dangerously _ close to the raging creature. “Shit, fuck!  _ Run!! _ I'll keep its focus!” they shouted before drawing a rapier and leveling it at the behemoth, turning back to face the creature head-on.

The Nu Mou's jaw dropped. He'd seen pictures of the giant beasts in books before. He knew it was called a behemoth. He knew behemoths were massive. He knew they were difficult to harm with weapons, resistant to many types of magic and capable of unleashing both physical and magical-based attacks on a deadly scale.

...But any and all knowledge of what to do _about_ them evaporated as Po'Nee managed only to stare blankly and emit the tiniest squeak. Next to him, Aberath snarled and automatically dropped into a defensive pose, his body lowering and tensing in preparation...before blinking as the strange figure wielding the rapier warded them off again. "Go!! Run!"

"Welp, you heard the...uh..." Aberath paused and scratched at his nose for a moment, ignoring the behemoth as it dropped back down to all fours and unleashed a furious howl. "Guy? Lady? Um, yeah. You heard the... _person_ , Po -- _move your ass!_ "

Po'Nee shook his head to try and clear the mixture of shock and terror, his enormous ears slapping against his back and chest and making him twitch. "Wh-what...we...shouldn't we help?!" he stammered even as he took a step back and nearly tripped over his own tail.

"Yeah, sure, what're you gonna do? Throw your fuckin' _laundry_ at it?" Aberath snarled as he reached down to grab Po'Nee by the scruff of his neck. "You ain't ready, kid, and I ain't about to let...you..." The demon frowned immensely as he twitched. "Let you...fuckin'..." A few sparks of red energy crackled across his azure hide and he looked down at the confused Nu Mou with widened eyes. "Oh fuck," he muttered before gritting his teeth. "Po, get your ass _outta_ he--"

He was cut off by a sharp snap as reality bent around him for a moment before the demon burst into a cloud of smoke which was pulled rapidly through a tiny portal that appeared in midair.

Po'Nee tumbled to the ground from Aberath's grasp when the demon disappeared, yelping and landing firmly on his rump. He hadn't even been able to shout a protest before his companion was simply...gone, leaving him to stare mutely at where the demon stood an instant ago. He turned his head creakily toward the oddly-dressed figure positioned between himself and the behemoth, the gears in his mind still churning wildly to try and understand the situation unfolding around him. He felt rooted to the spot, fear and confusion overwhelming him as he clutched his travel bag to his chest and slowly shook his head in some raw form of denial.

The Elezen spared a look back at the Nu Mou and cursed under their breath. "Okay, then!" With a flourish, they cut the air in front of the towering monster to draw its attention. Po'Nee looked over, his eyes widening as the thin sword gleamed before releasing what looked like a cloud of glitter from the tip. He'd never seen anything like it before.

The sparkling mass shot from the rapier to smack into the behemoth's face, causing it to roar furiously and whip its head to one side while shutting its eyes to protect itself from the blinding particles. While it was distracted, the the mage spun around and reached down to grab Po'Nee's arm. They yanked the speechless Nu Mou to his feet and tugged firmly. "Come on, Pinky! Time to go!!"

It finally snapped Po'Nee out of his daze when the humanoid jerked him upright. The flash of strange magic from the...mage? Fencer? Magician?!? continued to bounce around the Nu Mou's mind, but he managed to maintain just enough concentration to keep his bag clutched against his robes as he stumbled into a sprint. "Wait, my...m-my friend!" he yelled, looking over his shoulder with a whimper at where he'd last seen Aberath before gasping when the behemoth charged blindly after them. Its eyes were clenched tightly, but it apparently still had the sense to aim itself in their general direction.

The lowered head and sharp horns approached with enough accuracy that Po'Nee was fairly certain his life was flashing before his eyes -- certainly a new experience to add to his day of new experiences. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!!" He clutched harder into the stranger's wrist and stared around for something, _anything_ they could hide in. "What do we do?!"

The mage shoved Po'Nee suddenly to the side just in time for the behemoth to charge between them, its enraged lunge missing them both by inches. As soon as it passed, the elven figure growled and snagged Po'Nee's wrist again. "You _run!_ " They emphasized it with a tight squeeze around his arm before planting a boot against his side and kicking him away and -- hopefully -- out of harm's way.

It wasn't that Po'Nee didn't _want_ to run. The moment he felt the behemoth's breath on his neck an instant before this stranger had shoved him to safety was the moment he realized this was not a game. But he and Aberath had literally _just_ talked about how he wasn't going to be a giant baby anymore. He'd even started to prepare a speech about not running from his problems any longer when he was booted firmly out of the behemoth's range, tripping over his paws and flopping onto his side with a wince.

The elven figure spun to face the monster as it wheeled around, and once more flourished the rapier. A sparkling line of energy traced the back of the blade and then, with another twirl of the weapon, extended into a glimmering whip. The Elezen narrowed their eyes while swinging the ribbon of light toward the behemoth's snarling features. "I've got this! Get the hell outta here while I distract it!!"

Po'Nee scrambled back to his paws, unable to stop himself from staring with awe at the magic of the odd humanoid. He knew what all kinds of different magic looked like -- it was a main facet of his people's identity, after all -- but he'd never seen spells like _this_ before. And certainly not in the context of a combat situation!

"Um...okay!" he half-yelled as he clung to his bag and turned to run...only to stumble to a jagged halt no more than twenty yards away. He wheezed and leaned against a tree, one-hundred percent still a tired, exhausted, out-of-shape Nu Mou.

Despite the rather direct command to _run_ , however, Po'Nee's lack of experience meant he didn't quite understand that the mage was not _meant_ to take the brunt of a behemoth's attack. It swung a massive paw at them, and they quickly threw up a shimmering barrier with their free hand in an attempt to deflect the damage. The vicious swipe tore through it like wet paper, barely slowing the blow as it knocked them sprawling.

Po'Nee's eyes bulged as he gasped and breathed hard against the tree, looking back in time to see and hear the _thump_ of the mage being slammed into the ground. The glimmering whip of light and energy lost cohesion and sparked out of existence, leaving them only with their rapier. The Nu Mou swallowed thickly. He imagined if Aberath were here, he'd be yelling at him to run, damn the consequences for this stranger.

Yet he did not. He glanced at the red symbol just visible under the loose sleeve rolled up along his arm. The brand still burned a little. He gave a determined nod as he focused on the tree in front of him, using the dull pain as a sort of encouragement. With a quick brush of his claws, he sheared away a layer of dead bark and left a relatively smooth portion of the trunk visible, upon which he rapidly carved a small, sloppy runic circle. He was physically weary, but he could feel his internal energy surging, begging for an outlet. He had to do _something_.

Behind him, the behemoth lunged at the defenseless Elezen, still focused on the only one who had done it any real harm. Another enormous paw snatched through the air and tore a bit of the long jacket in mid-flutter as the mage rolled away at the last moment. They did their best to keep their breaths calm, refusing to show panic even as the infuriated beast roared and unleashed several wild attacks with its muscular forearms. And in the midst of its onslaught of strikes, the creature suddenly dropped low and whipped its massive body around in an attempt to smash the elf with its thick tail. The mage was swift, however,, and ducked beneath the blurred motion of the appendage before feigning a quick thrust of the rapier to force the behemoth to instinctively stumble backward.

Po'Nee tried to focus as best he could without staring back, quickly muttering a brief demonic verse. It was actually one of the first things he'd ever learned to speak in the rasping tongue. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," he mumbled nervously, stepping back from the tree and stealing another glance at the confrontation."Oh no...no, no, this is bad..."

Three sharp pops interrupted his worrying and he spun around to stare at the trio of imps that had appeared, lined up next to the tree as they all glowered up at him. "This must be a sad fuckin' joke!" the middle one exclaimed. "This kid _ain't dead yet?!_ " The other two snorted derisively as Po'Nee looked dumbfounded.

"Hey!" he shouted before blinking stupidly. "Wait, you can talk? How come you guys never talked to me when I was younger?!?"

"Because we hated you," the middle one retorted.

"Yeah, and you were weird!"

"And annoying."

"And didn't let us eat the fuck outta you," the first imp concluded before scowling. "So why the fuck did you call us now? We heard you moved onto bigger and better demons like --"

"No time to explain!" Po'Nee interrupted with a frantic wave of his arms as his too-large robe billowed around him. "I need your help! Aberath just disappeared and now there's a behemoth and I think it's gonna kill this person I just met and then kill me!!"

The three imps all slowly leaned to one side to peer past the Nu Mou, and Po'Nee couldn't help turning his attention back to the fight as well, his eyes fearful. "Can you guys please help?" And a moment later, he heard the scampering of claws across leaves, bringing a sigh of relief to his muzzle. He looked back to them...and then shouted in frustration as he saw the trio racing _away_ from the scene. "Hey!!"

"Fuck you, dude!" one of them shouted back. "We can't hurt you, but we sure as _fuck_ ain't gonna fuckin' touch _that_ , nope!!"

"Stop!" Po'Nee cried out desperately.

A brief purple glow thrummed around his hands for a moment, making his robe flutter. He didn't seem to notice, however, as another shout from the assaulted mage behind him made him wince. He stared over a shoulder with a whimper before closing his eyes and stomping a paw angrily. "I said _stop!!_ "

A much larger wave of violet energy emanated out from him and the three imps instantly froze in their tracks despite their considerable distance. They stared between themselves in confusion, visibly trembling with the effort to move their limbs. It appeared to be in vain, however, and they were unable to do more than twitch a few inches in any direction.

Po'Nee blinked a few times before quickly wiping away the emotional tears that had welled up, then thrusting an arm vigorously back toward the behemoth. "Now _GO!!_ "

The tiny demons snarled and cursed, but a thin haze of purple covered their bodies and slowly forced them to turn in place. "K-kid...hold on, now, kid, hol-whooooa- _shit!_ " the leader shouted in frustration as the three of them suddenly sprinted forward frantically.

They blew past a bewildered yet determined Po'Nee and, in spite of their cries of angry denial, launched themselves directly at the behemoth's face in a wild, uncoordinated assault.

Both the Elezen and the behemoth flinched in surprise at the demonic attack; the feral beast roared indignantly, but the mage revealed a small smile. The behemoth immediately backpedaled and pawed at its face as the trio of imps clung stubbornly to its features while the elfS wasted no time using the distraction to their benefit. They took a deep breath and lifted their rapier high to point upward. As the caster concentrated, sparkling light began to gather at the blade's tip, beams of piercing energy radiating outward and around them.

The behemoth continued swiping at its face with howls of displeasure -- even though the imps scrabbling at its muzzle and eyes were doing almost no damage, the beast's attention was inexorably drawn to them. It didn't register the magic building atop the sword as its owner drew it back while the point of light became a glistening orb, brighter and kaleidoscopic in its manifestation.

As the earth shook from the furious roars and stomping, the beast at last growled in satisfaction when its massive claws managed to wrap around one of the imps. It flung the small demon into a tree with enough force to crack the trunk, and the imp's minuscule body gave a sickening squelch before crumpling to the ground.

But rather than leaving a messy corpse, the imp still seemed intact...not to mention conscious enough to croak weakly and raise a very distinct middle finger to the Nu Mou before it disappeared in a puff of dark smoke. The other two imps screeched insanely as they maintained the unrelenting attack even as the behemoth attempted to snag another of them, still distracted from the actions of the tall mage standing before its flailing form.

Po'Nee's eyes were the size of dinner plates as he watched the Elezen's spherical spell elongate swiftly into a massive spear of energy. It hovered in front of their rapier for a second or two before a firm thrust sent it exploding away from the blade to race toward the monster's chest. The behemoth didn't even have time to notice, let alone try to avoid it. With a definitive _shwick!!_ it buried into the behemoth's muscular breast.

The gleaming magical spear sank nearly three-quarters of the way in and the berserk creature took a shocked step backward on its hind legs, its furious howls tapering off. The growl it gave was almost puzzled as it swayed slowly and then grasped into the base of the spear with a dexterous front paw to yank on it angrily.

Po'Nee wheezed and stumbled up to the mage, one eye on the behemoth as he hesitantly placed a hand onto the Elezen's arm. "You...you got it! Is...is that, um. Is that gonna kill it? Or...or do we go back to running now?" he panted, ignoring the disgruntled shouts and curses from the two remaining imps as they unleashed a litany of insults about the Nu Mou while clawing uselessly at the behemoth's face. It didn't seem to register their claws beyond the occasional firm shake of its head to vainly attempt dislodging them.

The mage glanced down at the exhausted Nu Mou. "Well...it'll die eventually, but it's more kind to give it a final blow. And since I don't have another of those spells in me..." They walked up to the fading beast, wearily booting aside a half-hearted swipe from the behemoth as it noticed them approaching. Its eyes stared with fury, but the weakness was becoming inevitable -- it offered no resistance when the elf plunged their rapier smoothly down past the creature's rib cage and deep into its breast.

The behemoth gave one last growl before slumping forward with a long sigh, finally falling still. Any remaining twitches from its limbs no longer carried the pulse of life.

Po'Nee stared wordlessly at the merciful... _kill_. It was the first time he'd ever seen anything die.

The Nu Mou shuffled his paws quietly as the death rattle rolled across the clearing, shaken out of his shock only when the mage yanked their rapier back out and turned to face him. "Thanks for the assist." They met his incredulous gaze evenly. "I'm Elvy."

Po'Nee blinked and then nodded rapidly. "Wow, um...no, no, I should thank _you_ , I. I was absolutely useless, and..."

"And your dick is _really small!_ " one of the imps shouted even as it slammed a fist over and over into the dead behemoth's skull. " _Now would you fuckin' turn this shit off?!_ "

"Oh crap! Um...sorry, guys!" Po'Nee blurted as he shook his hands out rapidly. The purple glow faded and the imps both squawked as they were released from his commanding grip to fall off the beast's face and crash into the dirt below.

Po'Nee looked back at Elvy and smiled lamely up at them. "I'm Po'Nee. And...you were _amazing_ , and I've never --"

"I'm talkin' like a _fuckin' toothpick_ , like you need some _goddamn tweezers!!_ " the other imp shouted grumpily as Po'Nee sighed and gave an apologetic look. "It shares plenty of qualities with your skinny-ass sword, matter'a fact!!"

Elvy glowered darkly at the imps as the two demons approached, but they remained silent as Po'Nee continued his nervous rambling.

"Sorry, I...I'm...I didn't know what else to do and...oh gosh, Aberath!" Po'Nee looked around frantically as if the blue demon was maybe just hiding somewhere nearby. "Where did he go??"

"He probably got tired of hanging around _your_ lame ass," the leader of the two imps muttered as it limped past him and tossed him both middle fingers. "We're outta here. Angelique is gonna be so pissed, she _hates_ being thrown into shit. You're a douche, don't call us anymore, you suck."

And before Po'Nee could reassert any amount of will to try and silence the imps, the duo disappeared in a snap of energy to leave the two mortals behind in the silent forest. Po'Nee looked up awkwardly at the Elezen, his features still torn between relieved and worried. "I...I'm sorry. Just...my friend, and...those guys and...oh, but...geez, are...are you okay?!?"

Elvy finally stopped glaring at the imps as they puffed out of reality, shifting their gaze back to the Nu Mou. The mage quirked an eyebrow, trying not to smile at the juxtaposition of a _demon summoner_ being this awkward. Perhaps it was just an assumption about the type of person that tended to work with demonic entities...but _still_. They shook their head briefly. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." They cleaned their rapier off quickly and then sheathed it with a single nod.

Po'Nee exhaled quietly as his long, thick tail wrapped around his legs. "Okay, okay, good. Because, um. I tried to learn white magic. I...I uh. Well." He shifted awkwardly. "The good news is that the professor was able to reattach the other student's arm, at least, so..." He smiled wanly and gave a weak thumbs up.

Elvy thanked the gods they had decided to hold onto the one healing spell they'd learned in their own studies. "Yep, it's okay. So...your blue friend? He was a demon, yeah? Did he maybe just run away like I said to, or..."

The Nu Mou rubbed his arms slowly, his nervousness on display to the world. "Oh, uh...yeah, Aberath was...I mean, _is_ his name. I...I don't think he ran..."

He thought back to what he'd seen. Aberath was a demon, after all. Self-preservation was high on their list of priorities. And he knew he'd formed a bond with Aberath, he just wasn't sure how deep or serious it was. What he felt for _sure_ was that Aberath at least wouldn't just abandon him to die alone. Or...gods, he _hoped_ he wouldn't.

But his memory felt sharp enough. Aberath's initial instinct was to defend him, after all, and fight back. It was only _after_ Elvy ordered them to flee that Aberath repeated the command to Po'Nee. "I don't think he ran away," the Nu Mou repeated softly. "It felt more like, um. He was...called away."

A question suddenly crossed his mind. What happened if another summoner called on a demon he'd already brought forth? Could another summoner simply take control, pull the demon out of his grasp? "I'm...I'm wondering if someone else, uh. Summoned him. While _I_ had him summoned." Po'Nee realized how dumb he sounded. "I'm sorry, I'm um. I'm really...really _really_ new to all this," he mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. "We literally just left home like two hours ago..."

Elvy nodded slowly. "Huh. I suppose that's a good question. I don't know much about summoning, myself, but I guess that could be the case. I wouldn't know for sure." The mage observed the Nu Mou a bit longer, noting the ill-fitting robes, his shy, awkward pose. "Ah..." The small creature was looking more and more lost -- in turn, his story was making more and more sense. "Well...how about you come back to Jasper with me, then? I can watch over ya until you get your friend back, okay?"

The behemoth was gone, and it would have few natural predators around these parts...but it was probably still best to keep an eye on a new adventurer, anyway. Elvy didn't feel _obligated_ to do so, although thoughts of their start on the road made them hesitate to leave the rookie alone. If he truly was only two hours into his first steps away from home, he would appreciate having someone along for the trip...even if it wasn't the demon he seemed so friendly with. Elvy knew _they_ would have benefited from such a kindness, after all.

Po'Nee exhaled quietly and nodded a bit. "I...I'm kinda clueless, I'm sorry. I used to just, um. Summon demons for...you know. Myself. Um. Yeah. Aberath and I were just starting to talk about how it works and..." He trailed off, shifting on his paws and pulling his hood over his head with a mumble. It was becoming painfully apparent just how much strength Aberath had been providing to him on this journey.

He wasn't so far from home that he couldn't still choose to turn around and trudge back to his village. But did he _want_ to? "Uh...you...if you're sure. I don't wanna be a burden," he replied lamely, his tail curling tighter around his legs in embarrassment. "But then again, I'm kinda lost as hell. So uh..." He attempted the bravest face he could and picked up his travel bag to hug it to his chest. "I'll go with you. Thank you."

The Elezen smiled reassuringly. "You aren't a burden. You're the one that summoned some demons and gave me enough time for a good hit, after all, right?"

Po'Nee blushed but nodded silently. "Um. Thanks, again. I wish I could have summoned something more, uh. Useful. But...I was panicking a little and I used to summon them all the time as a kid, so..." He trailed off before glancing up past his hood with a small smile. "Hey, what kind of magic was that, by the way? It was really neat."

Elvy flexed their fingers slowly at the question while wandering over to the behemoth's corpse, motioning to Po'Nee to follow. "It's, uh. It's actually a new magic I've been creating myself. It's a lot of flash and glitter, but...it has surprising reach."

Po'Nee nodded several more times as he unwrapped his tail and trundled after Elvy, only to half-hide behind the tall figure out of instinct when he realized just _how massive_ the dead beast was. "I uh...I really like it, yeah. It's flashy, but really useful, too. It's...inspirational, to be honest."

The mage grunted and stopped next to the behemoth's muzzle, reaching down to take hold of a fang. With a huff of effort, they yanked down hard and pulled it out of the creature's jaws. Po'Nee winced backward, staring and looking just a touch woozy as he watched a small trickle of blood run down the surface of the gigantic, serrated tooth. Elvy looked it over before smiling briefly at the Nu Mou. "And it helped us survive a behemoth. Good job, by the way. Not everyone gets such an impressive first kill."

"Oh geez," Po'Nee mumbled awkwardly as he continued to ogle the fang, swaying slowly in place. "So...so is that, uh. Is that gonna make up for what you were originally after?"

"Well..." Elvy glanced at the tooth. "I hope so. It ate the original target, and I'm no good at dissection." They shrugged easily and tucked the fang away into a bag secured under their long coat before gesturing for the No Mou to follow them once more out of the woods and back onto the road.

"Heh, I guess that's a good point," he replied with a hesitant smile. He looked around as they walked, realizing something only just now. "Wait...so...you work alone?"

Elvy frowned a bit as they led the Nu Mou toward the distant town. "I, uh. I've been taking jobs alone for a while, at least. My last group didn't really...work out for me. I'm not _opposed_ to working with others, I just..." They shrugged again. "I've been busy developing my magic, so I haven't really had time to think about joining another party."

Po'Nee tilted his head in thought before looking down again as the hood settled over his features. "I see. I...never really felt very close to the other Nu Mou, myself. I guess it didn't help that I'm...y'know. Kinda the _worst_ at magic. I suck, and it's a big deal back home to be a Nu Mou that sucks at magic."

Elvy took a deep breath. "New rule if you're gonna walk with me. No putting yourself down." The mage glanced at Po'Nee pointedly, trying to catch his eye from beneath the hood he was hiding under. "That kind of talk doesn't help you. And I don't like it, so. I'm putting my foot down." Their tone attempted to be gentle despite the firm words.

The Nu Mou blinked in surprise and looked up again. Aberath had been berating him for the same thing. It was strange to hear it from someone he'd just met. Clearly it was harder than he thought to overcome the impulse that had been driven into him. He turned his head back down but smiled a bit, his tail dragging along but not quite as heavily. "Um...y-yeah. Okay. I'm sorry, you're right, too." He nodded to himself. "I. It's probably obvious I don't know what I'm doing," he confessed. "It was kind of just this. Last minute thing. I said I wanted to leave...Aberath helped pack my bags, he called me gay -- but in a good way -- and...we left. I admit there wasn't much planning. So I don't have a party or anything, either. We just started _going_."

"Hey, that's all it is out here," Elvy replied easily, waving a hand toward the woods around them. "You go, and you keep going. The direction can change, but that's okay. As long as you keep going."

The Nu Mou nodded and took a deep breath. "All the stories I heard about people going out and doing quests and stuff -- they always had a group. I think it's amazing you've been doing yourself." He paused, holding the bag with one arm as he rubbed slowly at his shoulder. "Without Aberath, I'm...I'm alone, and. I don't know where he is."

He grimaced and wrapped both arms around the bag once again. He didn't know _anything_ about this Elvy person. Well, he knew they were tough, but they were kind, too. Certainly not selfish. Certainly not self-inflated, but not self-loathing, either. And they'd saved his life. _And_ didn't seem to mind him having a demon as a friend. "Uh...this probably sounds dumb, but. Do you wanna...work alone...together? I, uh. I dunno how to do any of this, but. I left home because I wanted to do my own thing and learn more and stuff, and. If you're looking for someone to work with, I can _definitely_ promise you I won't judge you. I'm...kind of in no position at _all_ to do so, heh..."

Elvy's laugh was surprised, but genuine. "Alone together? Well, alright, Pinky. Since our paths seem to have crossed for a little while. As long as you don't mind me experimenting with magic, we can work alone together."

"Oh, gosh no, of course I don't mind!" Po'Nee replied brightly, perking up noticeably as he smiled down the road ahead. For some reason, Elvy teasing him about the color of his hide didn't make him feel insulted -- there was no bite to it. It made him think of how Aberath spoke to him, if he was being honest. And he realized he really _was_ lucky. He could have met an infinite number of much-less-kind people out here! "I, uh. I think I have some experimenting to do, too," he replied carefully, peering up at the Elezen from beneath his hood again.

"I haven't summoned more than just a few types of demons. So. I know I need to expand, but I also know a lot of people aren't big fans of _that_ kind of summoning, and also it could be dangerous for me, and for um, for you, and uh...yeah." He smiled helplessly up at Elvy, his long ears swinging in return. "Okay, great, thank you so much! And I can't wait to see this...um." He paused, realizing he didn't know _where_ they were going. "Is...Jasper a person or a place?"

Elvy eyed Po'Nee with a snort. "It's a town. Few miles from here. You two were serious about traveling without even knowing where you were going, weren't you?"

Po'Nee rolled his shoulders awkwardly, feeling a bit cowed by his companion's experience. "Uh, I've. They don't spend a lot of time on geography in our glasses. And I've only ever left the town a couple times." He smiled sheepishly and studied the bag in his arms. "We didn't really have a destination, no. I think I was maybe just a little high on adrenaline. I kinda just threw my house key at my neighbor and um. Ran out the back door."

"I can appreciate a quick escape." Elvy smiled, mostly to themself. "Well, Jasper is the town I've been in for some time, now. It's quite large for this region. And if you need something, just ask me, we should be able to find you anything you might need." And with that, they glanced briefly at the Nu Mou's robes, their thoughts immediately shifting to the tailor shop at which they had become a welcome regular.

Po'Nee nodded quietly. "Okay. That's good to know." He started to think of all the things he and Aberath did _not_ have. They'd packed what essentials they thought of, but it was becoming very obvious that he was lacking many of the supplies necessary for adventuring. He caught the appraising look from the Elezen and lifted one of his arms sheepishly so the oversized robe slid back to his elbow. "I, um. So one of my few trips out of the Nu Mou town was to visit an outpost that was mostly full of humans. I know I look small, but among other Nu Mou, I'm actually kinda tall, and. None of the robes they made at home fit me. And I didn't exactly have money to get anything custom-made, so. Even though the human ones are too large, I guess it's better than them being too small?" He sighed and kicked at a pebble, which made him nearly trip over the hem of his robes. "Maybe? Gosh, there's so much I don't know..."

Elvy stifled the impulse to praise the universe that there was a legitimate reason for the Nu Mou to be dressed...the _way he was_. They weren't vain, per se, but rather felt that one's clothes should fit their personality. Elvy nodded and wasn't able to resist a small sigh of relief.

The Nu Mou cleared his throat quietly before squeezing his bag in a moment of self-reassurance. "So...how did _you_ learn the basics? Was it, um, with your...your former party? Or is that something they actually teach at other schools?"

The Elezen frowned, their mind switching gears at the question as they considered the answer for a few moments. "Well..." they started, drawing their thought out slowly. "It was, uh, mostly on-the-road learning. The academy was more for magic casting and theory, specifically."

"Oh, you went to an academy, too?" Po'Nee asked excitedly, his curiosity perking...before the implication of that question for his own history made him wilt again. "Y-yeah, I didn't get a lot of class time. I got kicked out of, um. Well. All of them." He rubbed at the back of his neck through the hood as they strolled down the path. "I do like the idea of learning as you go, actually. Especially since the one thing I'm good at I didn't learn in school I guess 'cause I was _forbidden_ from learning it." He shifted the bag against his chest with a soft laugh. "Maybe, uh. Maybe between you and Aberath, you guys can try and teach me some basics, though. I guess it would be good to learn _something_ besides just summoning demons."

"Well, uh...y-yeah, I could try to help you learn a few basics..." Flashbacks to their days at the academy played through Elvy's mind. It hadn't exactly been a _positive_ part of their life. "I went to the red magic academy, so we were required to learn the foundation of several different disciplines. So we can see if I can find a way to help you learn, yeah."

The more Elvy thought about it, the more they warmed to the idea. "I will say, sometimes a professor might be the very best in their field, but that doesn't mean they actually know how to _teach_."

Po'Nee nodded while biting his lip unconsciously. "I think I see. And so you went to an academy for red mages, but you aren't an actual red mage, right? Which I mean, that's kinda perfect, since...I personally don't really fit into any of the usual titles that get assigned to other Nu Mou..."

"W-well, I...I mean..." Elvy stuttered to a stop. This was a difficult subject. They still had nightmares about their time in the university. "I _am_ a red mage. I-I just...don't practice as one. Anymore." They didn't want to explain the whole situation...especially to someone they'd only just met.

Po'Nee winced at the tone from his new companion. He realized he'd stumbled into a sensitive subject and, of course, it was with the _one_ person who could safely get him out of the wild and to somewhere relatively devoid of giant beasts that might enjoy him as a snack. "I, um...s-sorry," he mumbled while hugging his bag tightly. He quickly decided to drop the subject -- the last thing he wanted was more closed doors. "Maybe once we get to this...place, to Jasper, I could get a room and...well, I think I have enough for a night or two. And I can try to call Aberath back. I'm sure he's...maybe...worried about me." He had to remind himself that Aberath _was_ a demon. Po'Nee still wasn't sure just how much of their bond was the start of a true friendship or if the creature was faking some of it for his benefit. "...I hope he's okay."

Elvy tried not to sigh, glancing down at the way the small Nu Mou clutched into his overpacked bag like a shield. "It's okay, Po. Look, I, uh...I can stay around a couple days. I know it can be hard when you first start. And since I've been staying in Jasper for a while...it's not a big deal to stay a little longer."

Po'Nee perked again, smiling up at the Elezen. "Oh! That...that would be great! Thank you so much! Um, yeah, I'll try to find a cheap room, and then look up some odd jobs or...something to get a little more money. I definitely don't want to slow you down or keep you from moving on." He tried not to think about the fact that, not even three hours into his journey into the 'real world' and he was already making people turn away. And here he thought he was running _away_ from home. But something was better than nothing, and he was determined to not let himself be rooted by doubt again.

Elvy shrugged a bit. "Like I said, I've been here some time, so it's okay. I can even take you on a job, if you like."

The Nu Mou had to catch himself -- his automatic response was to blurt "oh no that's okay!" but he managed to shut his muzzle in time. The last thing he needed was to keep being so stupidly _hesitant_ about everything. _What would Aberath say?_ "Um. That would be awesome," he replied awkwardly before glancing up and giving a lame smile. "I guess it would kinda suck if I wen ton my first job and died or something." He nodded a few times and then tilted his head a bit. "Have you, uh...like. Seen or interacted with demons before or anything? I know we were kinda in a _terrifying_ situation earlier, but you still took it so into stride. I'm...I'm not used to that."

...He realized he had little experience in general with how people reacted to demons _anywhere_ outside of his rather close-knit community.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I was a little distracted by almost dying," Elvy chuckled. "I, uh, haven't ever met a demon _or_ a summoner, actually. But I'm fine with it as long as no one hurts me." They shrugged easily. "There might be some people, uh...who are a bit more judgmental, though. But you don't have to worry about that with me."

Elvy knew some _very_ uptight white mages that took their jobs so seriously as to condemn any variety of demonic entity, regardless of intent or circumstance. Elvy didn't share that same view. Hell, for all they knew, demons might be more fun to hang around than _those_ closed-minded assholes.

"Oh, that's...that's really good to hear," Po'Nee replied with a sigh of relief, nodding once. "I was kinda hoping that by leaving home, I could actually start to learn more about summoning." He smiled quietly. At least his newfound companion -- even if temporary -- wasn't going to deride him for his particular branch of interest. Not to mention Elvy seemed like an extremely unique individual, as well...something the Nu Mou could relate to.

A more positive beat filled his stride as he scampered a bit to keep up with the mage, forgetting for the moment just how goddamn physically unfit he was as they continued on their way to Jasper.


	4. Little Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elvy leads Po'Nee to the biggest town he's ever been to...which isn't saying much. But there are sights galore to see, and awkward encounters beyond measure. Living arrangements must be organized! Demons must be found!!
> 
> This chapter contains:   
> -Jasper, a totally-not-generic FF-ish town of purport and broadness  
> -A creepy old fortune-teller  
> -A creepy old fortune-teller's fortune  
> -A creepy obsession with being able to see trash cans  
> -Intrusive Thoughts:tm:  
> -Ham and cheese sandwiches  
> -Baby adventurer tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I swear there's probably more semi-useful artwork we could post for this chapter. But since I can't find it off-hand...none for now. But promise to add some if I find some that doesn't give away FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OOOOooo~

Another hour or so passed before Po'Nee spotted Jasper on the horizon. Or at least he assumed it was Jasper. The sprawling architecture seemed far too imposing to belong to anything less than the kind of town Elvy had been describing. And as they drew closer, it only became more apparent to the Nu Mou that Jasper wasn't just larger than his home village. This place _towered_ over it.

The sun had begun to inch toward the horizon and lights were steadily flickering on to illuminate the windows of the nearest buildings. Yet in spite of the oncoming night, the moment the duo took their first steps into the town proper, Po'Nee could see people wandering the streets as a variety of sounds and music and conversation trickled into his long ears. Even the liveliest of festivals back home hardly drew many crowds after sundown -- traditional Nu Mou weren't really much of a partying bunch, after all.

Elvy continuously glanced toward the small creature to ensure he didn't wander too far, or get himself lost or murdered or robbed just as his adventure was starting. Po'Nee didn't seem to register their concern, however, his eyes busily drifting from shop to stall to cluster of people with his jaw agape and his thick tail dragging slack behind him. But the sight no longer exuded sadness...the hefty appendage was simply limp as his attention was drawn everywhere _except_ himself. So many new sights and sounds -- it was _invigorating._ The Nu Mou almost giggled with childish excitement, dancing along wide-eyed at the Elezen's side while trying to take in everything and anything they passed.

Between two shopfronts, just outside a dark alleyway, Po'Nee spotted a hunched old woman sitting upon a blanket. The tattered linen was spread out to display a few odd trinkets, a well-used candle and a worn but colorful deck of cards. He hesitated just long enough that the elderly human was able to catch his gaze, and she immediately raised a hand to beckon him forth.

He tilted his head curiously, the movement causing his long ears to swing gently. He was successfully distracted from his awe-stricken gazing about as he locked eyes with her, stumbling to a stop. "W-wait...Elvy, just a sec," he called over his shoulder while tugging on the elf's sleeve briefly.

Elvy glanced down at him, then frowned slightly upon spotting the grinning crone. They did not stop Po'Nee, however, instead following him silently with an unreadable expression.

Po'Nee wandered up to the woman, seeming only a bit put off by her crooked expression. "Um...hello. What...what's all this? What are you doing with those cards?"

His curiosity practically powered a neon sign around him, _begging_ someone to use it to their own benefit.

The elder chortled and gestured to him again while calling out in her creaky voice: "Hello, young one!" She was missing several teeth, but her smile was broad and welcoming, even with the mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I use them to read fortunes! Would you like me to read _yours?_ "

The Elezen remained just behind Po'Nee, silent but polite. They didn't think the old lady's 'job' was a _hoax_ , per se, just...a way to take advantage of the easily-swayed. The impressionable, the uninitiated...the _naive_...they were this woman's finest customers. Still, Elvy didn't stop the Nu Mou's interaction. In fact, they were surprised by the fact he took initiative in such a new, strange environment. It was a good thing for him, and they didn't want to step all over that.

Po'Nee's thick tail curled silently around itself as he shifted from paw to paw. "I, um. I don't have much extra money. But I _do_ think prognostication is fascinating..." He kept his travel bag held close as he dropped quietly to his knees at the edge of the blanket. His eyes were wide, rapt with intrigue. "Our village had a few oracles who used magic for predicting certain things like weather and stuff...how do _you_ do it?"

"I let the spirits of the cards tell me what needs to be said," she replied stiffly, one eyebrow arching ever so slightly. Po'Nee shrunk back a bit at her tone, his features instantly cowed.

"It might not be very polite to ask a mystic about their ways so pointedly," Elvy suggested quietly, leaning down to speak into one of the Nu Mou's ear. Raising their voice, they added clearly: "If you like, I can give you a bit of coin. For _one_ fortune." The Elezen shrugged mentally at the thought of their own odd generosity. If Po got some enjoyment out of the fortune, what harm was there in it? It wasn't like Elvy was too hard up for spare cash.

The Nu Mou glanced back up at them, their words making him smile a bit and regain some of his almost-confidence. "S-sorry!" he announced to the aged fortune teller, carefully setting his bag aside. "I'd, um. I'd appreciate that, Elvy. I promise, just one! I'm really curious if I'm gonna be cut out for this whole...adventuring thing."

...Clearly he didn't understand that the more he revealed about himself, the more accurate his 'future' would be in the old human's predictions.

Elvy gave a small, entertained smile, but leaned over the Nu Mou to drop a couple coins into the woman's outstretched hand. With a blur of movement one normally wouldn't expect from an elderly human who _wasn't_ trying to swindle anyone gullible enough to stop, the coins disappeared into her shawl, payment accepted for the summoner's fortune.

Her uncanny dexterity continued to be on display as she took up the cards and shuffled them expertly, each card passing briefly between her fingers and twirling showily before disappearing back into the deck. Po'Nee stared with raw fascination, watching every movement that his eyes were able to follow. After a few seconds of mixing the cards, she rapidly slapped down a series of them at random from the deck.

They were planted face-up, although the Nu Mou did not understand what the symbols meant. He was intrigued all the same, leaning down with a quiet gasp to inspect each one. It took him a moment to realize the oracle was scowling at him and he winced as she made an irritated motion that he presumed meant she wanted him to back up.

He cleared his throat but smiled and leaned back obediently, nodding several times. The old crone grunted in approval before squinting at the dozen cards, running her gnarled fingers across the bevy of odd symbols, pictures and words. "Mmmm...ah, yes...yes, I see!" She peered up at Po'Nee with pale, serious eyes, making him stare back apprehensively.

At last, she spoke. "There is much chaos before you. A tide of events shall rise and then fall. You might see the creator of the smallest stars silenced. You could see a lonely dragon given more joy than they expected." She leaned forward slowly, one bony finger tapping on a card as she met his gaze evenly. "Be wary of smiles, you know not if the fangs will bite. Look for your joy in the swirling lights."

She leaned back with a satisfied grumble, nodding and watching as Po'Nee only continued to stare, wide-eyed and speechless...and as if he perhaps expected more. The oracle squinted slightly and then huffed. "Rhyming costs extra!" she snapped.

Elvy smiled as Po'Nee flinched, placing a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, Pinky. Let's find you a room for tonight."

He blinked, his maw still hanging open. He was trying to understand all that had been said -- it was so much information! He half-wondered if he should be jotting it all down... "J-just a sec," he mumbled, smiling lamely over his shoulder at the Elezen before reaching into his knapsack to dig out a notebook full of scribbled notes from all the classes he'd (briefly) participated in. "U-um, it was...really nice, even without rhyming!" he blurted to the frowning woman before clearing his throat quietly again and hurriedly scrawling her words down. "Okay...lonely...dragon. Fangs...swirling lights...got it!"

He smiled gratefully and then met Elvy's eyes for a moment. "Okay! Ready to go!" He turned back to the grumpy-looking human. "And thank you again!!" She pursed her lips but gave the smallest nod in return as he quickly tossed his notebook and pen back into the satchel. Po'Nee stood with a grunt, then hugged his travel bag to his chest again before waving awkwardly and chasing after Elvy as they continued down the busy street. "Do you, uh...are you staying at an inn or a hotel or something in town, yourself?"

As they walked away, the woman smiled maliciously at their backs. And then, with a whisper, she vanished.

Elvy rubbed a hand slowly over the handle of their rapier. "Oh! Uh...well, I rent a place by the month," they explained carefully. The Elezen chewed their lip, considering their next words intently. "Hmmm. About that. You did mention you left your home in a hurry, and...since inns and hotels can be expensive, would you like to...stay at my place?"

Po'Nee's eyes widened a bit as he felt his cheeks flush. It took him a moment to realize what the offer entailed with the way his embarrassment so quickly wound up. Sharing a place with someone he just met? It felt _impossible_ for that sort of kindness to exist. Not to mention that he'd lived alone the last ten years or so, he didn't even know where to begin to think about it.

...He realized he'd frozen in place, and he scampered after the the Elezen before awkwardly half-shouting: "Wow that'd be great do you mean it really if you're sure?!?"

Elvy reached up and fiddled with a lock of their hair, a nervous habit of days long past. "W-well, I have a couch...and you need a place to stay, and, uh...yo-you said that, um, well, it's cheaper, and it'll be easier if I'm gonna watch over you for a couple days, so..." They trailed off awkwardly, leaving Po'Nee to stare up as they continued down the street together.

The Nu Mou played with one of his ears, his expression almost as awkward. But his smile was huge all the same -- talk about a relief! "A...a couch sounds amazing!" he blurted, walking sideways for a moment while peering up at Elvy, nearly tripping over his too-long robe. "I'm pretty small, I'm sure it'll be more than enough, and, honestly, uhhmmm..." He hesitated, not wanting to sound pitiful...but still unable to stop from adding sheepishly: "I was kinda scared about getting lost or saying the wrong thing or being robbed. Or stabbed."

Elvy gave an internal sigh of relief, glad the Nu Mou was at least self-aware enough to know _some_ of his own vulnerabilities. "Alright, then!" they announced with renewed vigor, gesturing to the next corner. "It's down this street. C'mon."

Po'Nee quickly trotted after his benefactor to turn down the cross-street. His eyes were huge as he scurried along at the Elezen's side, still staring at everything they passed. Even with how large the university was, the Nu Mou town was still _tiny_ compared to Jasper. And there were certainly no parts of town he recalled that ever felt like... _this_.

The street was almost an alley, though not quite. And it wasn't necessarily sketchy or dangerous...but it was quiet, and just dirty enough o suggest it could quickly become so. But Elvy maintained their calm, collected walk down the dimly-lit passageway, striding past the silent, looming buildings with purpose. Po'Nee realized with no irony that he would likely be quivering where he stood in a place like this had Elvy not been there. Without Aberath providing his easy, confident presence, the summoner felt like a mouse wandering through a coeurl exhibit.

The Nu Mou was sufficiently distracted when Elvy paused about halfway down the street to turn toward a plain entranceway. They fished out keys from a hidden pocket and then unlocked the door. Po'Nee peered past the Elezen to see a set of stairs leading up, which appeared to be a space above some kind of store. The directly-attached shop displayed advertisements for books and magical supplies -- it seemed coincidentally perfect that it was located beneath where a practicing mage lived.

Elvy led Po'Nee inside, then waited for him to pass so they could turn and ensure the door was locked. Po'Nee paused in the doorway to the store, his eyes wide once again at the sight, his muzzle half-opened. He only ever went to the library back home...such a huge selection of books and different magical implements was incredible to him. It wasn't like he was _banned_ from the shops in his town, but he never felt welcome and thus never spent much time within their walls.

Elvy glanced down at the Nu Mou, getting his attention and motioning toward the stairs, drawing him reluctantly away from the retail space to follow them up to the small landing.

Po'Nee hurried after them and then awkwardly pressed into a corner -- there wasn't much standing room as Elvy unlocked the narrow door and pushed it open to present the small apartment. He smiled briefly up at Elvy as they stood aside, nodding silently and then wandering forward into the living quarters.

Windows overlooking the street brought in the fading light from the town, splashing it across a compact kitchen. On the other side of the room was an old, worn-in couch along with a scratched coffee table. A short hallway opened up directly opposite the entryway with two doors on either end. Po'Nee gazed around at all this with his bag still clutched protectively to his chest as he swallowed nervously. He realized he'd never _been_ inside anyone else's house. Not even his so-called 'friends' growing up had ever invited him over. They'd always played outside, or at one of the parks in the village.

The kitchen and shared living room, even combined, were smaller than either of the individual rooms back at his home. His house was relatively small...but it was still a _house,_ after all. This was something else.

His soft purple eyes traced across the tiny kitchen as he took a few hesitant steps forward, self-consciously curling his tail so it didn't block the doorway. Yes...this space was small, but... "So...so you've been living _here?_ Right here, in this town, like...here??" he half-whispered in awe, peering through the window to look back down at the street. It wasn't bustling by any means...but it was a _street!_ Not just an overgrown dirt path.

"Um...yeah," Elvy answered, their tone suggesting they weren't quite sure what had the Nu Mou so excited. "For, uh...it must be coming up on five months now." They shrugged.

"Oh, wow...that's a long time," Po'Nee murmured as he gazed around at the rest of the main room. He nearly commented on the fact that it was a shame they'd been there for so long, only to sound like they were leaving soon. But the last thing he wanted was to sound ungrateful, just because the timing of their already-improbably meeting wasn't perfect.

"The owners don't mind me developing magic up here as long as I don't destroy anything, and I don't mind the magical practitioners making explosive mistakes downstairs," Elvy added, gesturing to the floor.

Po'Nee perked up a bit. "Oh, that's good, too! Uh...although if I wanted to do any summoning, I...hmmm." He frowned quietly. "I'd have to figure out if I could make the symbols on something that, um, isn't your floor or walls, heh!" He paused as he realized what Elvy had just said. "Wait... _explosions??_ "

"I have some chalk..." Elvy trailed off as they walked to a corner of the kitchen. "Whatever noises you hear downstairs, don't worry about it. The owners put a _lot_ of durability spells on this place." They stopped at the small kitchen table, piled high with books and boxes. After rummaging through a bag, they held up a small crate. "Here, this can be used to draw magic circles and runes...and you should be able to easily wash it away, too."

Po'Nee twisted around with a curious smile "Chalk? I've never thought of that. I, uh...well. Let's just say if my parents ever decide to go back to the house, there will be, um. A lot of. Messed up floors. And walls. And other surfaces. Y-yeah..." He looked awkward as he shifted from paw to paw before giving a relieved, if nervous, laugh. "But I...I guess durability spells are a good thing, between a magic shop and an experimenting mage and, uh. Now. Me."

He cleared his throat quietly before gazing out the window again with a bright expression. "Just look! You can see the main street way down there! And there's a bus stop and...real trash cans, too, wow!!" He laughed and turned around, his bag still held tight to his chest. "Thanks, seriously. This...this means a lot, and um. I promise to try and stay out of your way and not draw all over everything like a little kid or something." His expression was sheepish as he bit his lip. "Uh...just...should I just put this bag, uh. Anywhere in here? Is, um. Is that okay?" The apartment was small, and Elvy had several of the countertops already stacked high with tomes and bits of equipment.

Elvy was still digging through one of the supply crates as they answered: "The couch, coffee table and surrounding area is yours." After a moment of searching, they produced two blankets. "The kitchen is...well, obviously in here. There are some cleaning supplies under the sink, for when you want to clean up the chalk."

"Oh, wow, okay -- thank you for all the space!" he replied with another honest smile, placing his bag against the couch while making mental notes of everything Elvy pointed out.

The Elezen gestured quietly to the other end of the apartment. "The door on the right down that hall is the bathroom, and the other is my room. Um..." Their words drifted off again as they set the blankets down on the couch. "I'm a, uh, I'm kind of a private person when it comes to where I sleep, so...just knock on the door if you need anything, 'kay?"

He nodded a bit and rubbed aloofly at the back of his neck. "Oh, yeah, of course," he murmured. "I wouldn't think of barging in or anything."

...Not that he would know any better, he realized. Suddenly, the fact he'd lived alone for ten years began to make him wonder just how many social conventions he might not know about.

He reached out and patted one of the blankets thoughtfully. He'd completely forgotten to pack any linens other than his robes. The quick escape he and Aberath had savored was certainly starting to have its downsides become apparent.

Po'Nee made a face and then wandered back toward the kitchen, losing track of his long tail in the tight space and promptly knocking his travel bag over. He spun around with a wince and an apology, then proceeded to trip over the hem of his robes to land flat on his face with a dull _thump_ , accompanied by a muffled yelp.

The Nu Mou sighed and slowly pushed himself up to his knees while exhaling wearily. The trip was finally catching up to him as the excitement wore down. "S-sorry. I. Guess the shop downstairs is gonna know you have a visitor, now, at least."

Elvy watched the entire scene silently, biting their bottom lip in thought while furrowing their brow. "I don't mean to sound...uh. Mean? But do you have any other clothes besides...well, giant robes?"

Po'Nee looked up at the mage before pushing up to his paws with a soft grunt. "Um...I..." He paused to think about what was in the travel bag, then clasped his hands meekly together and looked down sheepishly at the floor. "I don't think so. Oh, but...I might have grabbed a pair of undergarments or two! B-but...they're basically just, uhm. Like t-shirts and leggings. That are too small for me. 'Cause I didn't get any when I got these robes from the human village."

Apparently _everything_ about the Nu Mou was the wrong size.

"Um..." Elvy massaged the back of their own neck as well, looking awkwardly down at the owlishly-staring creature. They tried to think of the best way to phrase their words. "Would you maybe like to purchase some new clothes tomorrow? I know a tailor, she helped me make _my_ clothes, in fact..."

The Nu Mou blinked a few times. He might not yet have been great at picking up on all the world's social cues, but he certainly knew awkwardness when he saw it. He couldn't even blame Elvy, either. The fact he needed seven or eight belts just to keep his robes secured was a _little_ much. "Heh...um, it's okay, I know my stuff doesn't...fit really well." He gave a lame smile. "If...if I can afford one and still have enough for a place once you leave town...yeah! But I do have a lot of robes, so if it's easier, I could also take a few to be altered and trimmed and stuff to fit a little better."

Elvy closed their eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay. This is going to sound...a little weird. But. Would you like me to help you purchase some new clothes?" Po'Nee gave them a curious look as they shifted against the kitchen counter. "Y-you see, uh..." Elvy opened their eyes and this time focused on the ceiling. "It's just that...if you're gonna be working, you don't want your clothes to, uh, trip you up? And I'm, uh, I'm also just a believer that clothes can really help with your confidence and how you carry yourself. That's all."

"O-oh! I see what you mean, I think," Po'Nee replied slowly, his tail curling around himself to end up in his hands so he could wring it silently. "Um...I...I dunno, I'm pretty used to...this, but..." He gave a hesitant smile. "Maybe, uh. Maybe we could find something that's a _little_ better fitting. Maybe some robes that aren't so baggy, or that have actual pockets and stuff I could use so I don't have to keep everything in my backpack." He paused, then added sheepishly: "M-maybe something in a...brighter color? The...humans didn't have that many, um. 'Unique' colors."

"Yeah, the generic robes they make are...drab," Elvy agreed. Shuffling their feet, they looked down at Po'Nee before asking: "If there isn't anything else, I'm, uh. Gonna take some time to myself in my room before sleeping."

"Oh, for sure, yeah, yeah!" Po'Nee responded hurriedly, nodding several times in return. "Thank you again! This was so kind of you and...um. I might try to...summon Aberath if that's okay, but...I'll probably go to sleep soon, too. It was a long day, heh."

"Oh, uh, I'll stick around to see if your...uh. Friend shows up. So he knows who you're staying with." Elvy shrugged easily.

"Okay, yeah, yeah. That'd be a good idea, yeah...you didn't really get to properly meet him before, I guess," Po'Nee replied lamely. He looked out the window for a moment before blurting: "I'm sorry your last party didn't work out. You've been really nice to me and...I think you would be a really good teammate to have. And if you ever decide to find a group again, I hope they treat you better."

Elvy glanced down at their hands, quickly raising their mental wall against the memories of their previous party. "No, no. Don't, uh...don't mention it. Um. I'll make some sandwiches for us all..." They bustled into the kitchen and began opening cabinets to yank out various ingredients.

Po'Nee gave an apologetic smile as he sat on the couch and put his hands in his lap for a moment. "Oh, that...that would be nice! I should have asked if I could do that, I don't want you to stay up too late if you don't want..." The Elezen's response was a noncommittal grunt and Po'Nee nodded a few times and then reached over to grab the box of chalk, glancing into it and peering back at Elvy. "Um...Aberath's circle has to be big enough for him, so...is it okay if I move the coffee table over to use the floor beneath it?"

Elvy still felt the burn from his earlier question. They avoided eye contact and instead moved around the kitchen to try and release some of the awkwardness. "Yeah. Yeah, go ahead."

Po'Nee nodded a bit, glancing over at the elf with the feeling he'd been stupid with his words again. He sighed, then shook his head out firmly to clear his thoughts, dropping down to his knees and pushing the table to the opposite wall. He plucked out a thick piece of plain white chalk from the box and studied it for a moment, then took a deep breath and started to sketch out Aberath's circle.

He didn't bother with the protective runes this time. He _assumed_ he wouldn't need them any more, at least not with Aberath. And as he worked, he was able to focus, steadily drowning out his mounting anxiety with the attention to the sketching.

Elvy watched silently for a few seconds before removing their hat and setting it on the counter. The apartment was quiet, save for the scratching of the Nu Mou's chalk, and the Elezen left him to work in peace while laying out a few pieces of bread and digging some sliced ham and cheese out of the refrigerator. They realized it was perhaps a decent stroke of luck that they had an unexpected guest -- the meat didn't have more than a few days before it went bad, they guessed. Of course, it also helped that Po'Nee didn't seem like the type to complaint about any kind of food...at least not aloud.

The sandwiches were simple, and Elvy finished making four of them before Po'Nee closed his circle. They leaned back against the counter to nurse one while observing the Nu Mou wrap up the symbol.

Po'Nee could have completed it faster than usual, but he found himself mumbling under his breath and taking the extra moment to wipe at a too-long line here, or a slightly-squished curve there, using his oversized sleeves to unnecessarily perfect every element of the runic circle. But it made him feel better, and he finally looked up with a small smile while setting the chalk aside. He glanced at Elvy, then exhaled quietly and rubbed at his arms nervously.

"Okay...okay, okay. Next part's easy," he whispered as he grunted and climbed back to his paws, taking one step back.

The Elezen tilted their head slightly, watching with genuine curiosity. They had never seen such a ceremony. Po'Nee didn't seem to notice their attention as he closed his eyes in concentration and took a long deep breath. He held out one hand and Elvy caught the faintest glow of purple over the summoner's fur. A string of demonic verse trickled out of his muzzle while the same violet sheen spread from his fingertips, across his wrist and into the sleeve of his robe.

The circle thrummed after a moment as purple light illuminated the runes. Elvy braced themselves to meet the demon companion...again?...as Po'Nee smiled a bit and shuffled on his paws, tapping a claw against his forearm, waiting for...

...Nothing.

There was a spark or two of crimson, but nothing further. The Nu Mou frowned as the light faded and he quickly stepped forward. Elvy remained quiet, unsure if there was anything they could (or _should_ ) say, anyway. They could only watch as the summoner repeated the verse faster than before, observing the way the runes once again while the soft hum of Po'Nee's magic filled the small room.

But the circle remained empty, without even a whisper of the demonic subject. The Nu Mou's shoulders slumped. He knew it didn't mean there was anything wrong, necessarily -- he'd had moments in the past when he'd tried to summon something smaller and received no response. It usually meant whatever he was trying to call was currently in the service of another summoner.

Usually.

Po'Nee reached up and silently clutched into one of his ears, whispering the words a third time, just in case. But once more, there was nothing. And this time, he dropped his head with a sigh, his entire body seeming to wilt as he dragged himself around and trudged into the kitchen. "I...I guess he's...busy. I hope..."

"You can try again tomorrow," Elvy replied quietly, turning to take the plate of sandwiches from the counter. "In the meantime..." They held the plate out, remembering to lower it so Po'Nee could see it more easily.

"Y-yeah, I guess," he mumbled, looking down at his robe before glancing up at the offered plate. He smiled, faint but grateful at Elvy's attempt to accommodate his short stature. "Thank you."

The sandwich might have been plain, but he was hungry and it more than hit the spot for him as he took a big bite. His jaws worked steadily and he did his best to remain stoic, reminding himself of all the logical, valid reasons for Aberath to not appear.

...And now he realized why Elvy had gone about making the sandwiches. It was _his_ turn to feel uncomfortable and withdrawn as he looked down and nibbled at the sandwich, struggling to put his mind anywhere but here.

Elvy turned around and quickly wrapped the remaining sandwiches to tuck them away into the fridge. They took a breath while still facing away before turning back to the Nu Mou and gazing down at him. "Try and get some sleep, okay? We'll have a busy day tomorrow, and it was already a long day today."

Po'Nee nodded immediately, holding his sandwich in both hands while meeting the elf's calm but kind gaze. "O-okay. Yeah, that. That sounds good," he replied softly. "Thank you again for the sandwich."

"Yeah. It's fine, Po. Goodnight." The Elezen nodded once before collecting their hat and heading into the small bedroom, closing the door behind themself. They Nu Mu worried the sandwich as he watched them head off before he sighed and turned back to the circle with another halfhearted bite of his impromptu dinner.

Elvy hung up their hat and then proceeded to methodically undress. The side bags were unhitched next and completely unpacked, followed by the careful placement of their boots near the door.

Once the routine was complete, they dropped into the middle of the bed. It was one of only a few pieces in the room, which was decorated as sparsely as one might expect a small, semi-temporary apartment to be.

It had been quite the day. The encounter with the behemoth alone would have been enough to make it memorable. Elvy frowned a bit before reaching over to the small nightstand to grab a couple of journals laying on top. Their fingers ran over the worn leather of the older-looking one first, opening it slowly to gaze at the messy handwriting and over-exuberant entries of a fresh-faced adventurer.

Notes about every encounter they had in the beginning, back when every single battle was a new experience and every strange face was one to sketch and scribble little facts about. Elvy skimmed entries describing their start with Grass and the others. An adventure that had started off with hopefulness and a sense of gratitude that they'd actually found a party that would accept them.

Well...'accept' perhaps wasn't the best word...

They read through only a handful of entries before closing the journal and instead turning their attention to the other,, neater booklet. This one contained their research notes and documentation of their varied experiments with new spells. Elvy wasn't looking for anything in particular., simply gazing at the pages thoughtfully. These notebooks held the raw truth of most of their adventuring life; they were an acknowledgment of how much the Elezen had grown, and what they had accomplished so far.

It brought Po'Nee to mind. Fresh, frightened, excited Po. With a soft sigh, Elvy placed the books back onto the nightstand and hugged their knees close for a moment. The Nu Mou could be a friend, a new companion to join the Elezen on what had become a fairly lonely road. But he could also become what Grass had been in the end. Someone who looked down on Elvy, who decided they were a second-rate mage and chose not to tolerate the perceived incompetence.

Elvy shook their head. Maybe. But wasn't another 'maybe' that Po would turn out to be a much better person than Grass and the rest of their old party? Couldn't he prove to be different, and maybe in a _better_ way?

There were so many possible outcomes. So many ways things could go right...or go depressingly wrong. Po had shown he was incredibly trusting and had a sort of genuine kindness to him -- maybe it was naivete, but it still felt _honest_. Honesty was refreshing, even if it could be a determent out in this world.

Elvy hadn't lost the ability to hope for things to go well, and they allowed themselves to wish for a good outcome with the Nu Mou, even if the pink-and-green boy ended up walking out of their life as soon as their demonic friend showed back up. Even if this was the case...if Po still become a good friend, Elvy could convince themself they could indeed _have_ friends again. And that was a worthwhile thought.

Sighing, Elvy slipped under the sheets and pulled the covers up. Maybe this unexpected turn of events would turn out well. One could hope.

As soon as Elvy closed the door to their room, Po'Nee sighed and flopped onto the couch. His chin dropped into his hands, his elbows dug into his thighs. He was...tired. No, he was _exhausted_. His arms hurt. His legs burned. His sides still ached.

As did his heart.

He trembled and stared at the summoning circle, eyes burning a hole into the lifeless runes. He wasn't as sure anymore that Aberath was probably okay. What if some other summoner had called him for a fight that was more than he could handle? What if he wasn't simply sent back to his realm, what if he was...

Po'Nee trembled harder. He slid off the couch and onto his knees, whimpering quietly and pressing his hands into the edge of the circle while whispering the demonic verse one more time. Each word came out nearly inaudible...and yet the entire room still glowed purple from his effort. His arm gave a violent tremor, his claws digging into the wooden floor. A tiny portal almost sparked to life...only to quickly fade again as he strained with all his might.

But eventually the effort was too much and he slumped forward with a loud gasp. Sweat ran down his body as his chest heaved. Nothing. There was nothing.

He hung his head and felt tears pricking his eyes. His very core felt like it was collapsing onto itself as his hands clenched silently into fists. Why was he so upset? He and Aberath had only really become friends that very day. No more than eight or nine hours ago. It wasn't like he was the Nu Mou's lifelong companion.

Yet...all he could think of was the demon and his well-being. And even worse...what if Aberath _was_ fine? What if it had all been a ruse, some sick, twisted demonic joke just to feed off his vulnerable emotions?

His tears began to spill over his cheeks. He knew he had no reason to cry, no right to be upset. He knew he was lucky. Elvy had been so kind despite how pitiful his performance was both during the fight with the behemoth, but after it as well. Hell, they must have felt like they'd been stuck with a stupid _child._

And that's all Po was, wasn't he? An idiot child, thinking he was ready for the real world. He was barely old enough for a real job, let alone leaving home.

Po'Nee's tears flowed freely now as he blindly dug in his travel bag to pull out several more robes, dragging them back onto the couch. All he wanted now was to curl up and disappear.

This was all a terrible mistake. Aberath might not even _want_ to return, and Elvy mentioned leaving soon. What if Aberath didn't come back? And Elvy said it was time to go? What would he do, who would he turn to? Where would he go? Back _home?_

It was with some kind of subconscious instinct that he slipped out of his multiple belts and too-long robes while pulling the mass of garments and blankets around himself, curling up into a secure little lump of Nu Mou. He eventually buried himself in the tightly-woven structure of fabrics, his sobs muffled as he let all his inhibitions loose. At least there was no one here to judge him.

The couch shook quietly with his bawling, until he finally cried himself to sleep and his body became still with the much-needed rest. He would have no dreams that night...but at least he could get his emotions out of the way. He didn't know what the next day would bring, and in that moment...he didn't care. He simply slept.


	5. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is always another morning.
> 
> I mean, assuming you don't die in your sleep or get horribly gored by a behemoth.
> 
> Elvy and Po'Nee start their first day as a (temporary) dynamic duo. Elvy learns that being a mentor figure is difficult, and Po learns that everything else is difficult.
> 
> In this chapter, we will see our friends:  
> -Learn to get back on our feet...paws...whatever  
> -Find a mutual love of caffeinated beverages  
> -Get dressed  
> -Get more dressed (and simultaneously...less dressed?)  
> -Appropriately-named NPCs  
> -The REAL truth about ether  
> -Cry (yeah again)  
> -Go shopping
> 
> Our cast of NPCs who may or may not return later in the story begins their parade! Not all adventures are wall-to-wall with action...sometimes, you gotta take the time to get your consumerism on.
> 
> ...Also this and the next chapter were originally one big chapter but I figured y'all would appreciate it bein' broke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey also art of the B E D N E S T  
> [](https://d.facdn.net/art/lonewulfe/1588777520/1588777520.lonewulfe_ponest.png)  
> 

Elvy was not a person when they first woke up. Used to living alone for some time now and already having a bad history with mornings, it typically took them a bit of shuffling around and glaring about until they remembered how to use manners and at least _resemble_ a sentient, semi-polite person.

So, once the sun began to brighten the windows, the Elezen was in no hurry to get out of bed. They lazily rolled off the mattress and slumped around the room, finding clean clothes and putting them on while trying to piece together what was on the schedule for the day.

They opened the bedroom door and stepped out, slowly rubbing at the back of their neck. They took a moment to crack a few joints and then paused to slowly turn toward the couch and blink at its occupant.

_Oh right._

They now remembered the previous day. But it took almost another full minute of blinking and silent, mental struggle to actually register _how_ the Nu Mou was sleeping.

The small creature was on the couch, yes...but he was snuggled tightly in what could only be described as a nest of blankets and what looked to be several extra robes from his luggage. A pink snout peeked out, and the tip of a green-topped tail trailed out from the side of the bundle to curl around the muzzle and keep it warm.

 _Oh. My gods,_ was the only think Elvy managed to think coherently. The adorable sight of the sleeping Nu Mou was not something they were prepared to handle fully-awakened, much less first thing in the morning.

A couple of minutes went by before the mage's brain finally came to terms with the new level of cute. They at last were able to tear their eyes away and stumble into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

Po'Nee wrinkled his muzzle delicately, feeling the soft fur atop his tail tickling his nostrils. He moved the appendage slightly and started to pull his maw back into the blankets, only to pause at the sound of a soft clink. He blinked blearily and slowly pushed his head forward, immediately squinting as the morning sun poured across him through the windows.

He mumbled quietly and managed to work an arm through the pile of robes and blankets to rub at his eyes, only then glancing to the side to notice Elvy in the kitchen. He flushed and gave an awkward look, shrinking back into the 'nest' before sheepishly calling out: "U-uh, hey...good morning. I. Hello."

Elvy's "morning" _did_ come out as an actual word, so they counted it as an accomplishment. They paused in front of the rumbling coffeemaker to mentally start up their people skills. "Don't normally have breakfast 'round here. But there's coffee. Some hot cocoa packets. Uh. Maybe some tea?"

"Oh, that's completely okay," Po'Nee mumbled as he shifted quietly in his makeshift bed-atop-the-couch. He realized as he began to squirm free that he was not actually _wearing_ any of the many robes with which he'd surrounded himself last night. "I-I like coffee! I, uh, I got a taste for it 'cause of early classes..." He blinked stupidly as he caused the bundle of clothing to slide off the couch, hurriedly grabbing one of the robes and wrapping his tail around himself sheepishly. "Oh geez, gosh, I'm sorry, sorry, just..."

Elvy was entirely focused on watching the coffee brew and there was virtually no mental capacity left to notice the nude Nu Mou. He sighed in relief and hurriedly squirmed himself into the bottom of the robe to pull it over himself, fumbling a bit with getting his arms through the sleeves and finally yanking it down over his head with a wheeze.

He averted his eyes despite avoiding embarrassment, busying himself with picking up the extra robes and blankets. "Thank you, again, for...letting me stay here, I mean. The couch was actually really comfy." He rubbed at the dried tears lining his cheek fur, grimacing and wiping at them rapidly. "It...it was my first night away from home. But I did sleep."

As the coffeemaker beeped quietly, Elvy grabbed two mugs to fill with the steaming amber liquid, closing their eyes as the all-too-welcome aroma washed over them. Their awareness of the world started to broaden to more than just a few feet in front of them, and the Elezen glanced over at an embarrassed Nu Mou, trying to remember why Po'Nee was being so awkward.

They only shrugged and turned to the fridge to dig out the creamer, adding a good amount to one of the mugs. Elvy's eyes closed for a moment for another deep inhale of the coffee and, at last, the other parts of their brain began to grind to life as the additional functions necessary for Elvy to come across as a thinking, moralistic being capable of kindness and manners.

Elvy gestured to the other mug and creamer. "Uh. Whatever you're apologizing for, it's alright. Help yourself, Po. And afterward, we can go to the stores and stock up on the supplies you need."

Po'Nee finished folding up the garments, snatching up the mass of belts that kept his too-baggy clothes from constantly sliding off his small but stout form. As he fastened them into place, he wandered into the kitchen and sniffed delicately at the air with a small smile. "That's a welcome smell," he replied quietly, gratefully taking the other mug and adding some cream to it. He leaned against the opposite corner with his tail curled around one leg. "That...that sounds good, yeah. I can spend what I have, since you're kind enough to put me up for a few days."

Elvy shrugged again. "We'll see, Pinky -- it wouldn't make sense to let you go out there unprepared, so. I can help itch in a little for your basic supplies, too."

The Nu Mou blushed and glanced away, nursing his mug and then taking a quiet sip from it. He wasn't really sure how to respond to the continuing -- and as he saw it -- completely unwarranted kindness.

Elvy picked up their mug and closed their eyes for a few seconds for that vital first sip. And what might have been a small smile parted their features before they continued. "Might make a stop at my tailor to see if she has anything on hand that might fit you better. And...at some point, I'm gonna make a stop at the Quest Commons to turn in that tooth." Elvy shrugged. "While we're there, we can see about setting you up as an adventurer, getting you properly registered and whatnot."

"It _would_ maybe be nice to have at least one better-fitting robe," Po'Nee admitted into his coffee, embarrassed even further at the prospect of how much this stranger was going out of their way to assist him. "I...I've read about the registration process, but um. Yeah, I have no idea what to expect or..."

"You'll be fine," Elvy reassured, their voice actually sounding honest and gentle as they downed more of their mug. "It's a pretty quick process, and you can take any low-level job once you have that done."

He nodded slowly, though the thought of going out to do a job on his own was...scary. Hell, in that moment, even going _outside_ felt like a challenge. His mind was elsewhere as he stared at the summoning circle in front of the couch.

Po'Nee took a deep breath and then finally tore his eyes away to smile meekly up at Elvy. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Some fresh air would probably be good, anyway."

Elvy led the way through the waking streets of the city. Although the sun had only just crested the distant, rolling hills, Jasper was already coming to life. They passed several people wandering the sidewalks, milling in front of the many storefronts with curtains drawn and awnings extended. Some sights were familiar to Po'Nee, but some were new, too. He was used to local bakeries and small, unique shops...but the variation of species he saw walking past...the towering department stores...the fact there weren't a bunch of fellow university students mocking him; _these_ were the things he couldn't help but marvel at.

Eventually, the duo approached a large building with enormous doors propped open to welcome in the warm morning air. Po'Nee's eyes widened at the impressive glass facade, nearly tripping over his robes as he stared up at it. "Wow," he whispered before noticing that Elvy was gesturing at him from inside, quickly trotting after them with a mumbled apology.

The inside of the building was spacious, even with the expansive tables and chairs placed beneath all the tall windows. At the back of the well-lit lobby, a series of counters lined the walls. Each one was watched over by two or three people, most of them with unexpectedly friendly expressions despite the early hour.

Elvy approached the middle counter, motioning over their shoulder for Po'Nee to stay close. "Good morning, Elvy," one of the employees called out, stepping up with a cheerful smile. "Garuda give ya any trouble?"

The Elezen leaned forward on the counter, digging in their pack for a moment before producing the behemoth tooth. "It got eaten," they offered plainly, placing the fang on the smooth surface.

The clerk blinked and stared at the tooth for a few seconds, obviously not ready for _that_ response. "Well..." The employee trailed off, biting their lip in thought.

"I can't give you a piece of the bird, so I was hoping this would work instead," Elvy explained, gesturing to the tooth again. "There _has_ to be a rule about a quest target getting consumed..."

"Surprisingly, it doesn't come up that often." The employee smiled awkwardly but picked up the tooth anyway, examining it and tossing it once before shifting it to their other hand and nodding. "Yeah, okay, I'll give you the reward. Even if that's not enough for the client, the Commons can take the hit. There's probably more than a few people who would pay nicely for a behemoth tooth, anyway."

"Thank you, that really helps," Elvy responded with a small smile, looking relieved. This job wasn't the difference between whether or not they could afford their next meal, by far...but any lost job was a pain to try and balance with their rather limited income stream.

They remained calm as the clerk took the tooth and headed to a back room. At their side, however, Po'Nee had been watching the entire exchange with his muzzle agape. He couldn't help looking so impressed at Elvy's negotiation. Not only had they managed to secure the original reward, despite not having the original _target_...but they hadn't even had to prove the Garuda was actually dead! _Holy crap, they are so cool..._

The Nu Mou continued to gaze with wonder as the clerk returned with a pouch that jingled with each step. Elvy accepted it when it was offered, and the Elezen replied with a brief, casual salute. Po'Nee's eyes were wide at the sight -- he was so lucky Elvy had found him! They really had their shit together!

Elvy stepped away from the counter, securing the pouch in their pack and then jerking their head gently at Po'Nee as they guided him back to the center of the open lobby. "Alright! Now...while we're here, do you want to register as an adventurer? We can take a small quest together, even, if ya like," they said, noticeably more cheerful.

Po'Nee blinked at the question, almost as if he was confused by it, despite the fact it was a very big reason he and Aberath had hit the road in the first place. "U-um...I...I guess so, yes?" He attempted a lame smile before clearing his throat and trying to put more force behind his words. "I mean. _Yes!_ I want to be an adventurer!"

...He ended up only speaking _louder_ , not deeper, and several pairs of eyes turned to him with expressions ranging from amused to annoyed to smirking. He laughed awkwardly and immediately pulled his hood up while mumbling. "I...I would appreciate that, too, a quest we can do together."

Elvy smiled a bit, ignoring the faces they were getting in favor of leading the nervous creature to another counter. There was a stepladder to one side that grabbed Po'Nee's attention. It was positioned directly under a weathered paper sign taped to the front of the counter labeled "For Our 'Smaller' Adventurers!" and it was decorated with what looked to be crayons and various cartoon-y stickers.

Po'Nee scowled but grudgingly hopped up onto it so he could see over the top of the counter. The clerk smiled between them both. "Good morning! How can I help you today?"

The Nu Mou was doing his best to be grumpy about his stature, putting on the most offended face he could. But whatever semblance of grouchiness he had was lost as he gawked at the various charts and informative displays behind the counter. There were diagrams of all the potential classifications an adventurer could achieve, lists of every possible combination of skill-sets...and more than a few visual aids showing how to ward off various wild beast attacks.

Elvy noticed their companion staring with gleaming eyes at the informative displays, masking their chuckle to instead gesture to the Nu Mou. "He'd like to register. He's just starting out."

Po'Nee's attention was torn away as the employee produced a packet of documents, spreading them out across the countertop. Luckily he'd done a _lot_ of registering for the multitude of classes he'd taken and subsequently been booted from.

He wasn't sure what to put as his preferred job type, so he just jotted down "anything goes!" with the hopes that it would be received with a bit of humor. That and listing himself as a "summoner" felt a bit disingenuous, so hopefully it would detract from that a bit, as well.

When everything was done and the paperwork was back in the clerk's hands to be processed and made official, Elvy thanked them and gestured for Po'Nee to move to yet another counter situated to the right of where they now stood. He jumped off the stepstool, nudged it back into place and then followed Elvy to the last counter, which was at least low enough he could grip into the edge and peer over the top without seeming too much like a lost child.

The young man behind the counter gave an even easier smile than the others, nodding to the Elezen. "Elvy, back for some more work?"

"Hey, Job. Po here's starting out. I'd like to grab something small for him and I to do together," they explained to the human. Po'Nee wasn't sure he believed the coincidence of the name of the guy running the jobs counter...but sure enough, the little tag on his shirt read "Job", clear as day.

Job grinned down at the Nu Mou. "New, eh? Welcome aboard, Po! Lemme see what we got..." He snagged a folder and shuffled through several papers and index cards. "Hmmm...collection...delivery...ah, how 'bout a good, ol'-fashioned rat extermination?"

After Po'Nee was done trying not to giggle at the all-too-perfect name for this cheerful human, he tilted his head and peered up at Elvy while whispering loudly: "R-rat extermination? That's...that's an adventurer's job?"

Job shrugged. "Exterminators are an option, sure. But if ya don't want tah wait for 'em, or can't afford it...an adventurer is just as good! 'Specially a newbie lookin' to get some experience!"

"We can always pick something else," Elvy added, glancing down at the Nu Mou.

"No, no, it's okay!" Po'Nee blurted, shifting his weight back and forth and smiling sheepishly up at Job. "I was just, uh. Surprised!"

In truth, he knew nothing about exterminating _anything_ , not even common rodents. But he felt anxious about showing he was _already_ being a baby about what jobs he chose to do. He didn't want to appear snooty, after all! He nodded and looked up at Elvy again to whisper once more: "Do...do we have to bring...proof, or um..."

"Yeah, Job will give us a card with the conditions." Elvy looked at the clerk, who was already filling out the aforementioned slip. After he was done, he handed it over to Po'Nee.

"Address is on there, and proof I sent ya." Job gave him a big smile. "Good luck, bud!"

Po'Nee was surprised at the kindness yet again, but was grateful for it. He immediately smiled back and bounced a bit on the spot. "Oh, thank you so much!!" He took up the card, practically cradling it in both hands as he stared at it for a few seconds and then beamed up at Elvy. "Wow. My first quest! I can't wait to tell Aberath!"

...And for the second time since the day before, mentioning his still-missing demon friend didn't make his mood dip. He felt _positive_ about his decision for once. "So...so um. Do...do we go buy traps, or, um." He looked around awkwardly as they moved back toward the lobby, not wanting to sound naive.

Elvy smiled. "We could. That would obviously cost money, so you'd need to balance how much you spend versus how much you want to keep from the reward. For me, I'm fine going in there with my sword and magic, especially just for some rats."

"Oh, right...that would make more sense..." Even if the idea of stabbing rats with a sword seemed a little crazy to the young summoner, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and realized it was probably a faster method. And like Elvy said, it didn't require any additional expense, either.

He took a moment to turn and wave at Job, then paused and widened his eyes a bit. "Oh, wait, gosh, I....I um. I don't have a weapon or. Well, I guess I could try to summon something small, too. I wanna do it right! And uh. Well, buying traps seems, um. Yeah, that kinda sounds like cheating. And I wanna save money, you mentioned new robes, and maybe some other supplies, too, and..."

Elvy kindly interrupted his rambling: "It's alright, Po. One thing at a time. Finding you a weapon _would_ be helpful, yeah." They trailed off as they exited the Quest Commons, looking up and down the street. "But the tailor is closer, so how about we go see about your clothes, first, and then visit the weapon-smith? That should actually be along the way to the address for the quest, too." The gestured to the sidewalk and began an easy walk.

"Okie doke," Po'Nee replied with a soft laugh, slinging his backpack around to his front to tuck the job card into it. "Um...one of the things Aberath and I actually chatted a little bit about on the road was weapons. Mostly he wanted to know what I thought of carrying one because he...well. He says summoning alone isn't enough. And I guess I understand that, even I still have no idea about how all this is supposed to go."

He paused and then shifted his pack back over his shoulder once more. "I um. I'd like to try and call him again, maybe after we visit the tailor?" He tried his best smile. "Maybe if I feel more confident in something new, I'll do a better job summoning him?"

Elvy tilted their head a bit. They still weren't sure about the details of how summoning worked, especially for demons. They couldn't say for sure if Po'Nee had actually been making mistakes, or 'not doing a good job summoning'. For all they knew, maybe his friend was simply unavailable. Either way, that self-defeating attitude wasn't something the Elezen liked to see.

Po'Nee turned his head to look down the street, then yelped in surprise as he almost collided with a tall Bangaa in a long coat. The Nu Mou blinked and took a step back, blushing slightly and opening his muzzle to apologize, only to be cut off.

"Yo, kid...you just sign up for a job?" the Bangaa asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah!" Po'Nee beamed brightly. "My first one!"

The reptile gave a crooked grin. "How would ya like another one? Reeeeeal easy, and good money, too! You just gotta deliver a li'l package from here to there, no biggie! Bet you could knock it out before you even start your other gig. Whaddya say, eh? Eh?"

The Nu Mou gasped softly, stepping closer. "Oh wow, really?? I-I mean, I'm literally just starting, are you sure? You'd give me a delivery job already?!?"

Elvy frowned, turning around when they realized Po'Nee had been pulled into the 'conversation' before they'd had a chance to steer him past.

"Oh yeah, absolutely," the Bangaa practically purred, even as he eyed the scowling Elezen warily. "Easy money, kid!"

"No."

Elvy did their best to restrain their anger, which wasn't quite successfully. The Bangaa regarded them coolly, though they paid him little attention to instead focus their gaze on the Nu Mou. "You don't want to be a drug runner, Po. Let's go."

"Whoa, whoa, _drug runner,_ that's a pretty harsh term!" the Bangaa complained, straining to avoid glaring too hard at the Elezen.

Po'Nee blinked and looked between the two. "Drugs? Is there something wrong with delivering those?"

"Definitely not!" the totally-not-a-drug-dealer quickly replied as he grinned disarmingly. "And it's good money, too! You'll probably pass at _least_ three drop-off points on the way to your other job!"

Po'Nee frowned in thought after looking curiously at Elvy again. "I mean, it doesn't sound so bad. And...after all, Aberath told me that ether and other stuff like that is basically made with the same things that are in drugs, so...wouldn't it be the same as delivering potions and such?"

The Bangaa lit up. "Kid's got a point! That's exactly it, it ain't no more harmful than bringing some nice antidotes an' potions to your sick granny from the apothecary!!"

Elvy let out a violent sigh. "First off: drugs hurt people. Second: ether isn't a fu- _freaking_ _drug_. It's more like an energy drink."The Elezen leveled a glare at the drug dealer. "Fuck off."

Po'Nee winced a bit as Elvy's tone carved effortlessly through his confidence. "B-but...Aberath told me..."

The Bangaa made a face at the Elezen, but did not return the aggression, instead leaning down toward the Nu Mou. "Hey, kid, all I'm sayin' is...is someone tryin' to stop you from makin' easy money _really_ a friend? How do you know they ain't just tryin' to make you do what _they_ want?"

...It might have worked on the young, naive Nu Mou, except for the fact that he immediately thought to what Elvy had done for him so far. He _did_ trust them, didn't he? Certainly more than this stranger. Po'Nee finally took a step backward and then glanced up at the mage before looking back to the reptile. "I-I...sorry, but...I'm not interested," he mumbled.

The Bangaa snorted dismissively and then smirked as he produced what looked like a hand-written business card, shoving it into the Nu Mou's face. "Here, in case ya ever change your mind. Look me up, or just ask around for Dug Wheeler."

Po'Nee blinked and hesitantly accepted the card before quickly returning to Elvy's side to be led away. "S-sorry, Elvy. It just didn't seem so bad . Aberath was telling me that all sorts of things that adventurers use have the same stuff in them..."

"I'm, ugh. I'm sorry for my tone," Elvy offered, working hard at their sincerity as they walked away. "That guy -- Dug, I guess -- sells drugs that are supposed to mess people up. Ya know, highly-addictive, mind-numbing, hallucination-creating drugs. Mild scenario, a person hurts themselves during a trip. But at worst, they think an innocent bystander is a rabid griffin and try to kill them."

Elvy shook their hands out, relieving some of the stress they'd been holding in. "Aberath was taking those drugs lightly when he compared them to ether. Ether is a boost, like I said earlier...more like an energy drink or...hell, like coffee. You know, the same stuff you had this morning?"

Po'Nee frowned quietly as he processed their words. It wasn't that he didn't believe them, it was just...Aberath was a demon, wasn't he? It seemed like he should know what he was talking about. He fidgeted for a moment, then decided he could ask Aberath about it later. And regardless, he knew he didn't want to see innocent people being hurt like that.

"Oh y-yeah, that sounds bad," he replied awkwardly before exhaling and shaking his head as well, then offering a genuine smile up to the Elezen. "It's okay, though! I know, I'm, uh, I'm probably way more dumb and annoying than anyone else you normally deal with, especially for more than just a few minutes. So I won't blame you for being short with me." He paused, then laughed lamely. "Get it, 'cause...I'm short?"

...It was odd to call himself short, but he had to get used to the fact that he was no longer surrounded by Nu Mou that were all smaller than he was.

Elvy gave him a wry look. "Po, you're fine. Short and fine. But remember, just because you don't know something doesn't make you dumb or annoying. It's an opportunity to learn and grow." They shrugged. "I certainly don't know everything, myself."

The Nu Mou smiled again, though it was less sheepish this time. "I...hmm. Yeah, I guess that's true!" It was almost as odd to hear Elvy admit that than it was to think about himself being short. The Elezen seemed to have it all together -- admitting they didn't know everything clashed with the mental image he'd been been building of Elvy ever since they'd first met.

Po'Nee mulled it over as they made their way down the street. He wanted to prove he was more than just excitement and raw energy. And while he was constantly reminding himself that he needed to get Aberath back, that Elvy was only here to help him for a few days...he was still doing his best to remember that it didn't mean he had to panic, and not take advantage of whatever he could pick up in the meantime.

The two ended up at a shop several blocks away. The sign above the door was plain, reading simply: Tailor.

Po'Nee almost jumped when a bell jangled as they walked through the door. His head whipped around to the other side as a shout came from the back of the store: "Just a minute!"

All around them were racks of clothes and displays, with full-length mirrors scattered around haphazardly, leaning against walls and shelves in what might have been strategic placement...or might have just been where the owner saw fit to drop them.

A human female burst from a back room, tearing away Po'Nee's attention from the store's unique layout. He looked at her curiously; she was tall, and her hair was cut short, styled into multiple spikes that jutted out in random angles. It reminded him of the flexible green spines on his own head, and he smiled hesitantly despite all the nervousness.

When the woman saw Elvy, she smiled enormously. "Hello, darling! Come for that alternate outfit we spoke about?"

Elvy smiled back, waving a greeting in return. "No, not quite. I haven't settled on a design yet." Po'Nee had unconsciously shifted halfway behind Elvy when faced with the impressive energy of the tailor, not even realizing he was partially hidden as he stared up at her. "No, I was actually hoping you could help out my, uh. Friend." Elvy lifted their arm to glance down at the Nu Mou as Lily leaned slightly to one side to peer at him as well..

He did his best not to shrink back when she nudged her glasses back into their proper place and then bent down with a hand held out in greeting. "Oh, hello! I'm Lily, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

He continued gazing at her inquisitively, shifting his weight and then smiling dumbly as he awkwardly reached out to grasp her hand. The one tailor's shop back home hadn't really been a very friendly place, and his single visit there wasn't a great experience. The tailor had been an elder Nu Mou of the community and his presence had been... _severe_ , to say the least. But Lily seemed different.

"Um, hi, I'm Po'Nee," he replied quietly, his tail curling around the hem of his robe. "It's nice to meet you, too..." He looked around with a nervous laugh. "Your store is amazing. I've never seen so many clothes that weren't, um. Robes."

Lily continued to smile softly, speaking directly to the aloof creature. "I hope that's a good thing, Po'Nee. Now then, would you like to try anything on so you have an idea of what some other clothes might look like? Or would you prefer to just browse the store for a little bit?"

Elvy took a step back, leaving Po'Nee to interact with Lily on hi sown. They smiled a bit at the sight. They had known Lily for some time since coming to Jasper, and they believed the woman would work well with the young summoner. She was sensitive to the needs of her customers, no matter how socially awkward they might have been. After all, Lily was the one who helped Elvy sort out their own outfit months before, and Elvy was painfully aware they were themself not the most outgoing in social settings.

"Oh!" Po'Nee rubbed at his muzzle lamely. "I...don't think I would mind trying stuff on...b-but, I...also think I'd like to stick with a robe, for now..." He wrung his hands quietly before reaching up to play with one of his long ears. "Elvy's outfit is really neat, but I'm...I'm sorta used to robes, and. Well, maybe it would be nice to have one that fits a little better and maybe has some brighter colors?"

Lily and Elvy shared a glance, the Elezen's face practically whispering a helpless apology at the young creature's tendency to ramble. The tailor shrugged easily, however, and turned to gesture encouragingly to Po'Nee. "Alright, sweetie. Why don't you come over here, and we'll see what can be done." She led the other two further into the store and then swept her arm out between Po'Nee and a wooden box. "Go ahead and stand on that. And oh, if you could, please take off all those belts. I'm going to get a few tools."

"Uhh...okay," Po'Nee replied awkwardly. He stared at the box for a moment, briefly thinking of all the times he'd been called out, mocked and made an example of in his classes. Having a spotlight on himself as often as he did for his ineptitude made him a bit wary of the attention. But as Lily rummaged through a nearby desk and -- so far -- only produced a few tape measures, a notepad and a pencil, and no visible implements of embarrassment, the Nu Mou exhaled quietly and told himself not to be silly.

Elvy stood to the side, their body language hopefully conveying a bit of easy support in the environment that was no doubt strange to the young creature. Po'Nee gratefully absorbed it, taking a deep breath and then trudging up to the box with the most determined stride he could muster. While unhitching the multitude of belts and straps, he carefully stepped onto the box and left the bundle of fasteners in a small pile next to it.

Lily approached him, still offering her kind smile. Her eyes took in the way his robe overwhelmed him and seemed to practically swallow his diminutive form. "Hmmm..." was the only audible indication that she was sizing not only him up, but also noting just how awkwardly large the entire garment was on him, and the fact he seemed to accept it as reality. He watched her while tapping his claws together nervously the whole time, waiting for her to call him out like one of his old professors.

She brightened and pulled a nearby chair closer to drop into it. "Alright. If you want, you can sit on the box while we talk."

He didn't have to be told twice, sighing in relief as he immediately sat down at her invitation. "Now, I can hem that," Lily continued, "but I'm going to need your measurements. And to do that accurately, I would like you to change into something more form-fitting."

"O-oh...right, I...guess that makes sense," Po'Nee replied slowly. He looked around sheepishly to try and spot whatever might pass as 'form-fitting' for his body.

She smiled at his expression. "If you'd like, you can pick out some clothes from any of the racks in that section." She gestured to the clothes on display in one corner of the shop. You can keep any clothes you choose -- they're all donations from previous customers and I haven't found a good place for them yet."

Po'Nee blinked, giving a double-take at her words. "Wait...what? They're... _all_ donations?" he asked incredulously, hopping off the box and wandering to the nearest rack. He tried not to protest, even if he felt like Lily must be some kind of crazy-woman to just give away clothes. As he ran his fingers along the garments, the 'crazy-woman' behind him crossed her legs and looked relaxed, like she could wait all day.

As his eyes skimmed each and every piece of clothing, Po'Nee realized he had no idea what to even _try_. He knew other, non-robe-like clothes existed...he just hadn't owned many over the years. Or even seen other styles on other people, for the most part. But he eventually pulled down a pair of long pants -- they seemed to be made for some non-human species, judging by the way the legs were cut. A few button-down shirts also ended up in his grasp. They were likely a little large, but he hoped they would at least work for the measurements Lily needed to perform. "Is, uh. Is there a changing room?"

Lily pointed to a couple of doors near the back of the store. "Don't worry if something you like doesn't fit exactly how it should. We can figure something out for ya."

"Okay," he replied, although it was almost a whisper as he hurried to one of the small rooms. As the door closed behind him, he leaned back against it and stared down at the items in his arms. This kindness was so alien.

He shook himself out briefly after shrugging off his oversized robe, then studied himself in the mirror. The embarrassed young creature poked his paunchy stomach a few times. His eyes flicked to the dark-red mark on his arm...the 'tattoo' that was really more of a brand. He ran his fingers over it slowly, then shifted silently on his thick legs before he exhaled and finally reached for the pants.

He held them up and examined them, having to take a moment to realize how they actually went onto his body. They passed through his hands lamely before he finally got it right and stuck one leg through, then the other. He hitched them up -- the tail strap in the back wasn't quite long enough for his stupidly-thick appendage, but he was still able to fasten them securely in the front. They were snug, thanks to his stocky build...but he smiled at himself all the same. They didn't look half-bad on him.

He wavered for a moment between the two shirts, but settled on the light-purple one. It looked okay on him...he hoped? He glanced at himself again in the mirror before sighing and stepping out of the changing room, his hands clutched together once more while he approached the other two.

"Perfect," Lily beamed. "I can hem those pants easily. For now, though, let's get your measurements." She gestured to the box again. "If you like, you can roll the bottom of those pants so you don't trip."

He nodded a few times, shuffling back toward the wooden crate, then glancing briefly at Elvy with a lame smile. Hopefully they weren't regretting all the time and energy they had already expended on the Nu Mou. He reached down to roll up the pant legs a few times while his tail swung the tiniest bit. With a quiet intake of breath, he stepped onto the box once more and turned back to Lily. "Uh...do I just..." He held out his arms in the way he imagined someone might do while they were getting measured. "W-what...do you need to measure?"

"How long your torso, arms and legs are, for the most part," Lily explained while quickly scratching her pencil against a notepad. "And then how big around. It'll only take a minute or two. Please stay still." She gave a reassuring smile. "This helps me make the clothes fit correctly on your body, so that nothing pinches or pulls."

"Oh, okay," Po'Nee replied shyly, doing his best not to fidget.

She lifted one of the tape measures and then delicately began to stretch it across Po'Nee's form, jotting down each set of numbers along what ended up being a sketch of a Nu Mou figure. When she was finished, she stood back and nodded. "Alright, dear. You can get down from there if you'd like."

He relaxed and clasped his hands together again, hopping down and sitting on the edge of the box nervously. In all honesty, however, it wasn't nearly as painful as he thought it might be, considering what an ordeal it seemed to be for someone to get custom clothes made back home.

Lily nudged her glasses down to the end of her nose, gazing between her notes and the small summoner. "You said you wanted the robe hemmed. I'm going to have to cut the fabric so that it fits -- is that alright?"

He blinked at the question, then gave Elvy a worried look. "I'm...I'm sure that's fine...right? Uh, I mean, my robes were...they were just some human robes that I had to buy because they were the only ones I could afford that fit me and um, yeah. I think that's okay."

Lily nodded and fetched the robe from the changing room, smiling back at him. "It will take me a bit to cut it down and sew it back together. If you'd like, you two are free to go look around the other shops on the street while I'm working."

Elvy chimed in, "I saw that general supply shop is still across the way. We can go get you some items from there while we wait, Po. Um. If you're up for it."

"Oh, uh. Okay." Po'Nee rubbed at his arm nervously before glancing down at the loaner clothes...no, the _gifted_ clothes. "So...so I can just...keep these on for now? Is this legal to wear?"

...He realized that was a silly question. But he practically felt naked!

"Yes, you may keep them on," Lily replied with a chuckle, though once again nothing came across as teasing or coy. There was only her endless kind tone, visibly helping to soothe the Nu Mou.

He nodded, then glanced at Elvy. "Uhhh if...y-yeah, we can...go get some supplies, if we have enough money," he stammered, looking between the two again. "I do have room in my backpack for some stuff, after all."

"I'll hem those pants for you when you get back, then, while you try on the robe," Lily explained, pointing to the Nu Mou's legs with her pencil. "Deal?"

"And don't worry about the money, I can cover for you," Elvy added as they led Po'Nee to the door. They nodded gratefully to to Lily, then waited patiently for the Nu Mou to join them.

He nodded again as well, rubbing at his arm awkwardly before picking up his backpack and slipping it over his shoulders. "Um...okay," he murmured. "Thank you, Lily." With that, he hurried after Elvy, self-consciously shifting to adjust the clothing on his shoulders...before realizing he didn't have to.

He actually stopped in place in his confusion, glancing with what might have been actual wonder at his sleeves. He looked up dumbly at his companion and then joined their side again with a mumbled apology.

"And um, Elvy -- you've already done so much!" he whispered frantically. "I...oh, but...all my money is back at your apartment. Shoot. Um, I'll pay you back!"

"Don't worry about it," Elvy repeated with a small smile. They mentally acknowledged how weird it was for them to buy this much for an acquaintance, someone they'd literally met the day before. But they also brushed that aside, recalling all the lessons from their mother about helping people whenever possible, and being kind in general.

"Okay," Po'Nee replied softly. He wasn't _that_ naive to think every random person he met would be as giving as Elvy had been so far, but he also knew better than to try and deny that he absolutely _needed_ every bit of help he could get.

When they entered the shop across the street, it only took a few seconds for Po'Nee to be awestruck yet again, this time by the shelves upon shelves of items, materials, gear...everything an adventurer might need for their first quest fetching fireflies, or if they were off to defeat the indomitable witch-king of a distant land. He had never been to a supplies shop that was so well-stocked, let alone this large. The one in his village was tiny by comparison, and only carried a very limited selection meant for the average Nu Mou mage.

Elvy led Po'Nee from aisle to aisle, making suggestions to him as he clutched a shopping basket tightly. Chalk, charcoal and markers, first -- all things that could be used to draw summoning circles on a variety of surfaces. And then a pencil case to safely hold all the sketching implements. A few cleaning rags to help clear away completed runes, or dab at mistakes.

"Can't I just use my sleeve or something?" Po'Nee asked as he inspected the strips of cloth.

"You're getting your robes hemmed and the first thing you wanna do is ruin them? Besides, they aren't very expensive, and they have multiple uses," Elvy reasoned before they reached for another shelf to grab a refillable lighter. "Ah, you'll definitely want one of these."

"Oh...I dunno..." Po'Nee frowned thoughtfully as Elvy handed him the lighter. "I mean, I could always summon fire demons...heck, I think even Aberath can produce a flame if he wants..."

Elvy crossed their arms, their expression a mix of amused and exasperated. "That might be true, but what happens when you run out of magic? Or maybe you have nothing to draw your circle on? Or maybe whatever you're summoning doesn't respond?" The last part made Po'Nee shift uncomfortably on his paws -- he hadn't thought of that. "Just take the lighter, Po. Trust me on this one. You'll be glad you did."

He nodded sheepishly and placed it carefully into the basket. They continued along to another set of shelves, where Elvy grabbed two side pouches with a smile. "These will be perfect to make use of one or two of all those damn belts you have."

Po'Nee laughed, but it was a tinny sound. As the basket had grown fuller and fuller, he was feeling the weight of the Elezen's charity more and more. Tears pricked at his eyes as he tried desperately to mentally rationalize why they were so willing to be this kind. Luckily the pouches distracted him enough to nod a few times as they were placed into the basket. It was heavy enough now that he needed both hands, so he rubbed his face awkwardly against a shoulder and mumbled a "Thank you..." as they began to wander down the remaining aisles for anything else that might have jumped out to them.

His moroseness was interrupted when he spotted a display showing off several mortar-and-pestle kits of varying quality and appearance. He paused here, tilting his head and reaching out to examine one of the sets. Most of them also came with a smalls supply pouch that had several inner pockets to organize any number of various reagents.

He'd read in one of the few summoning books he could get his hands on that, unlike 'white' summoning, demonic entities sometimes required more than a simple spell and runic pattern.

He fidgeted quietly on the spot, his tail nervously curling beneath his stout legs. Not wearing a robe meant his aloof movements stood out even more, however. "I...I think I could use this to make certain components I might need for more advanced summoning. What...what do you think?"

Elvy took a couple moments to look over the shelf, then nodded. "Good thinking, Pinky. Get one in the mid-price range. Don't always trust something to last when it's too cheap, and don't always trust the top brand to actually be any good." They glanced down at the Nu Mou, noticing the way he seemed to be getting overwhelmed. "Let me know if you see anything else you need, 'kay?"

They were trying to help the only way they knew how: by not acknowledging the discomfort out in the open.

Po'Nee nodded back multiple times. "Oh...yeah, that makes sense!" he replied as he eyed the small kit with the somewhat-higher price tag. He bit his lip but remained silent as he nodded again. "Nope, it's all good. I can still afford it!!"

He wasn't actually sure if he _could_ afford it. He had a feeling that once he paid Elvy back for all this, he wouldn't have more than a few spare coins. Not that Elvy needed to know that. He needed to start being more independent, after all!

He and the Elezen went together to the checkout, and Elvy purchased the entire basket of items without so much as a second look at the total. They also snagged a few bottles of water and a small bag of assorted sweets next to the cashier, tucking them under one arm and then guiding the muted Nu Mou to a bench outside of the shop.

They handed him a water, then opened the bag of candies. "Let's take a moment to, uh. Just chill. Today has been, um, a lot so far," Elvy suggested, not looking directly at Po'Nee. They were embarrassed because they really didn't know _how_ to comfort the young summoner. This wasn't a scenario they were used to dealing with in any fashion.

Po'Nee shoved the last of his purchases into his travel pack, now clutching it nervously to his chest rather than slinging it over his shoulders. He exhaled quietly, slowly opening the bottle with his eyes on the ground. But when Elvy offered the open bag of candy, hoping it would be _something_ , at least, he smiled a bit at the offer. It _had_ already been a busy day. "I appreciate that," he mumbled, his tail curling around one leg while he guzzled deeply from the water.

His eyes locked onto the candies, hating the way his stomach betrayed him with an insistent grumble. But when he looked at Elvy again, they simply shook the bag a bit invitingly. He hesitantly took a single piece. "Thank you...again," he murmured as he nibbled at it and crossed the lower halves of his legs together. It was all starting to feel like so much.

...He felt very tempted to call it a day and go back to his bed-nest.


	6. Back in the Saddle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elvy and Po are rejoined by a familiar face! And their journey is almost underway! Sorta??
> 
> In this chapter we will:  
> -Summon a demon  
> -Try out new weapons  
> -See a demon totally get sassed  
> -Resist the urge to be complete friends because that would be unrealistic
> 
> There will be a brief hiatus, FYI! Got a few other projects I'm workin' on at the mome, but fear not -- this one's far from dead!

The brief reprieve might have been a tad superfluous, as if only taken because _one_ of the pair was a bit of a child. And even if Po'Nee recognized that, he was grateful. He knew he was green, but he wasn't naive enough to think he'd avoid uncomfortable situations on the path to becoming an adventurer. All the same...he wasn't ready for learning how sheltered he'd been growing up in the Nu Mou village, and -- even if mostly self-sufficient for the last ten years -- the fact he hadn't really faced that many real-world problems on his own.

He was already nervous about returning to the tailor. Not because he thought Lily would do anything he didn't like...but rather because it would represent yet another moment of Elvy giving more of their resources to him. He knew they couldn't be _that_ well off, no matter how calmly they spent their money. It made him realize just how truly unprepared he was.

"I...I'd really like to try and summon Aberath again," he said, barely above a whisper before he sipped from the water again. He brightened a little as he looked up at Elvy. "I could try and use the chalk we just got! Is there somewhere, um. Maybe a little quieter we can go before we head back to your friend? I uh. I don't want to try it in her shop, just...in case."

He hoped the implication was 'in case something goes wrong and something else blows up', but the reality was more 'in case I fail and start crying again'.

"Yeah, um..." Elvy trailed off in thought. " I guess there's some alleyways that might be big enough. The, uh, the access roads behind these shops should do it..."

Po'Nee nodded a few times as he hugged his pack close and then shyly reached into the cellophane bag to pull out a few more pieces of candy. "Okay. That sounds good."

...He'd never summoned in a relatively public location, other than his own backyard. And that was, after all, the yard behind the house at the very furthest corner of the smallest village in town. This was considerably more visible to curious eyes. And he was feeling anxious, now. Even more than he had been before.

He chewed nervously on the candy before sighing, taking another drink of water and hopping off the bench. He shuffled a bit on his paws and looked up at Elvy. "Do you, uh. Do you wanna come, too?"

"Oh! Uh, sure!" Elvy stood and gestured for Po'Nee to lead the way down a nearby alley.

Po'Nee proceeded down the narrow path, closing his eyes to try and instill a bit more confidence in himself. He set his backpack carefully aside and took one more swig of water before digging through his satchel for the handy new container of drawing tools.

The road here was older and more worn, but he guessed chalk would still work well enough, so he took out a piece and knelt down to begin quickly sketching Aberath's symbol. It was sloppier than the one he'd done at the apartment, stripped of virtually anything that wasn't necessary for the summon. At this point, the Nu Mou just wanted to see that the demon was _okay_ , even if he only performed a half-assed ritual.

The moment he scribbled the final rune, he placed a hand gently against the edge of the circle and mumbled the now-oh-so-familiar words in a rapid but even cadence. The symbols flared to life with the same soft purple glow, illuminating the brick wall directly in front of them while splashing the violet hues across his worried features.

Po'Nee's eyes were determined even as his shoulders trembled. "C'mon...c'mon, c'mon," he whispered meekly...and then looking relieved as the magic did not fade but instead blossomed into a pillar of energy. Po'Nee sighed and dropped back onto his haunches with a weak smile as Aberath's tall, muscular form materialized and rose up through the seal. "Thank goodness," he mumbled, hugging himself self-consciously as he watched the demonic entity become whole.

The azure demon looked weary and beaten, his features bruised and one of his ears nicked rather deeply. Patches of fur across his face and neck were matted with dried blood as splatters of the stuff coated the scales of his chest as well. His long, reptilian tail hung limply down to his paws, matching the slumped posture of his whole body. He gave a faint smile. "Hey, kid. The fuck took you so long?"

"Aberath! What happened?!" Po'Nee cried out as he struggled to stand, then immediately ran forward to hug the demon firmly around the waist.

Aberath wrinkled his muzzle automatically, making a bit of a face...but then silently patting the back of the Nu Mou's head. "Got called in for a battle. Long. Rough." He grunted and then leaned back slightly to peer curiously at the button-up shirt and snug pants Po'Nee wore. "The fuck you wearin', Po?"

"I...Elvy took me to a tailor, and...she's hemming my robe, and let me borrow these but also said I could keep them if I liked and she also said she'd hem these pants, too, they're a little long but I think I like them and --"

"Fuckin' hell, kid, take a breath," Aberath grumbled, effectively cutting off the summoner's rambling as he glanced at the Elezen, his features hardening a bit as he looked them over for a few seconds. "Don't think we got a proper introduction 'fore the shit hit the fan. You been keepin' an eye on the li'l bastard?"

"I have," Elvy replied shortly. They weren't trying for disapproval with their tone, just distance. For all they knew, the demon might be much more enjoyable company than some _certain_ stuffy white mages...but they preferred to play their cards close to their chest. They had a difficult time knowing how to just be around _people_ as it was; having never met a demon before, Elvy figured safe and aloof was better than open and sorry.

Aberath grunted quietly, his features unreadable. He glanced back down at the Nu Mou still pushed against his waist, then scowled and looked back to the elf. "I...mmm. Thanks. I appreciate it. I know he's kind of a whiny bitch and...I wasn't tryin' to shove him off on no one else."

Po'Nee leaned back a bit, wiping at the shameless tears that had rolled down his cheeks. "H-hey..." But honestly, he was touched despite the insult. Having Aberath say that meant a lot to him. "Elvy, th-they also said they'd pay for the robe adjustments...an'...an' helped me buy some supplies just now, too." He rubbed at his muzzle and then held up the chalk. "In fact, I used some of it to draw your circle."

The demon frowned slightly. He met the Elezen's eyes again, noting the way they kept both their emotional and physical range. It didn't _feel_ like they were manipulating Po'Nee for some selfish reason, at least. "Huh. Alright, then. You didn't hafta do all that. Po 'n I were tryin' to do the whole...striking out on our own thing. Didn't mean for the kid to burden you with all this shit."

Elvy shrugged silently. "The least I could do for a new adventurer. I know how tough it is at the start."

Aberath nodded once, studying them for a moment. He then poked Po'Nee's forehead lightly. "Where'd you stay last night, then? Gonna guess it wasn't in this shitty alley...although you _did_ try to summon me already, didn't ya?"

"Y-yeah...I, I couldn't, though," the No Mou replied with a pitiful whimper. "B-but...I stayed at Elvy's apartment."

"Really now?" the demon responded, unable to hide his mild surprise as he tilted his head at Elvy. "Huh. Well, I'm glad you were safe." He made a face and it seemed painful for him to mutter: "Thanks again, then. Elvy, was it?"

"Yeah. And you're Aberath," Elvy confirmed. They shrugged again. "Po helped me kill the behemoth, and...well, it's hard to leave someone so lost on their own for the world to chew up and leave to die. It's no problem. Knowing I can help someone have a better start, that's something I won't turn away from."

Aberath raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, s'pose that's fair. But wait, Po _helped?_ " He gave a crooked smile and crossed his arms while looking down at the Nu Mou. "Word on the streets back home was that he summoned his ol' childhood trio, but I ain't found the three fuckers to verify." He tapped at his chin briefly. "Hearsay was that you made 'em fight." He met Po'Nee's gaze evenly. "Would love to hear more 'bout that at some point, kid."

Elvy scowled to themself at the memory of the little demon fucks insulting their rapier. Even thinking about it made them grumble in discontent, only to flatten the expression as Aberath continued.

"Anyway, I appreciate you gettin' him through that shit. Guess you figured out quick how green he was, eh?"

Elvy shrugged again. "Robes that ill-fitting, he was either a jester or new at the whole thing. Couldn't just let him get eaten."

"I mean, you _coulda_ ," Aberath reasoned, ignoring Po'Nee's wide-eyed pout. The demon chuckled, then glanced down at the runic circle he'd emerged from. "Hmm. Let's wipe some of _this_ away, though..." He began to scrub a paw against the asphalt to smudge the chalk while he eyed the Nu Mou bemusedly. "How the fuck you get the li'l baby outta his precious robes?" he asked Elvy as Po'Nee blushed and shrunk a bit under the demon's gaze.

"I can't take credit for his look." They gave a small smirk. "I called in a specialist."

"Fair enough," the demon snorted, nudging the summoner and earning a huff. "Toldja those robes were lame, kid."

"I like my robes," Po'Nee replied stubbornly, putting his hands on his hips.

"You just like the fact you're naked underneath 'em," Aberath retorted dryly, turning Po'Nee/s huff into a blush. The demon grinned slightly. "Still a goddamn kid. Anyway, I'm gonna guess this is the tailor I think I heard Po mention in that fuckin' one-breath-of-a-sentence. Since I'm already out, I might as well meet the chick who got him to wear somethin' that ain't a goddamn robe."

Po'Nee grumbled and returned the drawing supplies into his satchel before he gave a worried look to the demon. "I...I guess the sight of a demon might be more okay in a town like this. But...Aberath..." The demon peered down at him, waving at him to continue. "You...what happened to you? You look...beat up."

"Mmm. We'll talk a little later, maybe. Ain't feelin' like discussin' my battle scars here in the open." He gestured back to the entrance of the alleyway. "Lead the way, squirt. Or let Elvy go first if you're still too much of a puss."

The Nu Mou puffed his cheeks out, but did not argue and instead stood sheepishly to one side while Elvy smiled slightly and pointed toward the main road with a small flourish of their hand. They led the other two out of the backstreet and across the road back toward Lily's shop.

A few small frowns were tossed in the demon's direction as the trio walked together; they seemed mostly due to his appearance, however...and since he didn't seem interested in causing trouble, no one seemed overly agitated. But in spite of the general acceptance by the public, Po'Nee still self-consciously hovered close to Aberath, almost tempted to grab his hand out of fear of losing him again.

Aberath looked amused but didn't call the Nu Mou out, instead grasping his own wrists behind his back while gazing curiously around the street. "Might actually been here once or twice. Coupla summoners called me up before their battles, wherever they were resting. Some'a these buildings look familiar, anyway."

Po'Nee wanted to ask about it. He and Aberath hadn't talked about his previous interactions with other summoners, after all. But before he could, they were through the jangling doors and their attention was instead drawn to the back, where a single sewing machine whirred away.

Lily sat behind it, concentrating on the blue fabric running under the needle and guiding it along with easy movements. The woman glanced up long enough to nod a greeting to the group, then focused back on the garment. They were left to quietly gaze around the display racks for a few minutes longer before the machine finally rumbled to a stop.

Po'Nee peered past Elvy to watch Lily cut free a few trailing threads before she held the robe up and turned it right-side out to show the trio. "Good timing! This should do it! Po, if you could please put this on again so I can make sure it fits well." Her eyes flicked briefly to the demon and she nodded politely, but it was clear her attention was currently on her client.

Po'Nee was surprised at how unfazed she was, even if he starting to get it in his head that a city like this clearly handled the appearance of the supernatural in stride. But at the sight of his old robes, he smiled and trotted forward, his tail thumping once or twice with his excitement. He gingerly took it into his hands, whispering softly: "I've never had anything altered before...wow, okay! Yeah, I will!" He beamed up at Lily and then jogged back to the changing room while continuing to mumble excitedly under his breath.

Aberath chuckled quietly, crossing his arms to watch Po'Nee bounce away before giving the human female a once-over. "'Sup, lady. So the little dude already befriended you too, huh?"

She gave a small laugh. "He's a lovely person, and very polite. I'm happy I got to meet him." In an almost-sudden change of pace, Lily examined Aberath with a professional expression while inquiring: "How about you? Like to try anything on?"

Aberath tilted his head slightly with a half-smile. "Me?" he asked mildly, poking himself in the chest. "Nah. Ain't my thing. Demons ain't gotta wear clothes if they don't want, we can hide what we gotta hide." He gestured shamelessly to his smooth, scaled crotch and then offered a tiny smirk. "But on top'a that...I'm afraid it ain't so easy to clothe one'a my kind. Shit's gotta be enchanted, or stitched with the right reagents. That shit'll get left behind or straight-up burnt to a crisp every time I got summoned or sent back or teleport or use my abilities 'n shit."

"My goodness, you're right!" Lily gasped, putting a hand against her chest. "How could a simple mortal tailor in a city _full of adventurers_ EVER know about enchanting a garment or sewing runes into the lining or using appropriate alchemical dyes to enhance the material?!?" Lily gave the towering demon a look, and Aberath nearly fell over with the way he stumbled out of his confident pose. Elvy tried -- unsuccessfully -- to stifle a snort.

The demon's eyes were slightly widened an instant before they narrowed dangerously as a bit of smoke drifted out of his nostrils. "Well, well, it looks like I done made an _ass_ outta myself," he muttered, twitching a bit and trying not to look affected as he sniffed and looked away. "I ain't never worn anything before. Ain't got plans to start now. Besides, we're here for the short li'l bitch, ain't we? No need for me to steal the spotlight."

As if on cue, Po'Nee pushed open the door to the changing room, glancing down at himself and then smiling at the other three as he took a few careful steps forward...before realizing he wasn't at risk of tripping over his hem for once. He immediately brightened and trotted freely out to them, glancing at his demonic companion in an obvious search for approval before peering at Lily nervously. "Um...how does it look?"

"You look lovely!" Lily exclaimed, leaving Aberath to mumble to himself. The tailor reached out to pat a few of the seams, ensuring they sat where they should on the Nu Mou's stocky frame. "Yes, wonderful!" Se smiled warmly and then gestured to the clothes clutched in his arms. "Would you like me to hem those pants you were wearing? Or did you want to try something else?"

Po'Nee blushed a bit, looking down at the clothes held against his chest. "Th-thanks," he replied shyly. "Y-yeah, if that's okay, I liked those pants. I...I dunno how often I'd actually wear them, of course, it's not really what people like me wear a lot, but. Um. I liked them."

Aberath snorted, eager to shrug off his embarrassment. "Hey, Po -- what'd we go over yesterday, eh? Fuck those guys back home. You ain't gotta wear what they expect you to wear, you're outta that shit-hole."

The Nu Mou shifted and glanced away awkwardly. "Yeah. M-maybe..."

"Well, you can always come back," Lily chimed in, taking the pants from Po'Nee's grip. "Also, I only _helped_ Elvy find their look, you know. They already had some absolutely beautiful sketches to work with!" Lily glanced at Elvy with a warm smile. "Perhaps they can help you, too."

"Yeah!" Po'Nee blurted, his response childishly excited. He bounced a bit on his paws and peered up at Elvy, who eyed him neutrally.

Aberath raised an eyebrow but sighed and shrugged amicably. "I ain't gonna complain, anything to get him a _little_ bit more independent," the demon replied mildly, reaching down to pluck idly at the hemmed robe. He glanced at Elvy as well, his expression thoughtful. "What says the Bringer Down of Behemoths?"

Elvy shifted their gaze between Po'Nee and Aberath, then shrugged as well. "I'll give it some thought." They nodded and then walked over to Lily to quietly discuss the fees. Elvy handed over some money, making sure to shield the amount from the Nu Mou, figuring he didn't need to know what the gift cost.

Aberath's damaged ear twitched a bit, swiveling toward the trading of coin. The demon gave an almost-imperceptible frown. He wrinkled his muzzle, glancing back down to Po'Nee...but the summoner hardly noticed, still fascinated with the fact that his sleeves ended _just over_ his hands instead of hanging past by several inches.

The pile of belts was still stacked up behind him in the changing room -- he suddenly no longer needed them to keep his robe snug. He could actually use them for a more functional purpose now! "Aberath...this is awesome!" he whispered loudly, spinning around once and marveling at the way his paws moved without any hindrance or danger of tripping.

The demon snorted amusedly. "Gods, you are such a sheltered fuck" he chuckled.

After the exchange was complete, the Elezen turned back to the boys. "Okay, we got you better clothes and some supplies. After this, we should probably go to a weaponsmith. I don't care if you summon, you need a backup weapon."

Aberath crossed his arms, his previous disposition filtering back into his features. "Yeah, me'n the little guy already talked about that some," he grumbled, visibly annoyed. "But considerin' how much you've already dropped on the kid...you sure you can front this?"

Po'Nee's joy faltered a bit as he clasped his hands together, looking back up at Elvy. "OH...oh, you have already done so much, that's true, and...I'm repaying you for the mortar-pestle kit, I...I don't know if I can..."

Elvy narrowed their gaze at the demon. "My finances are mine to worry about. I'm fine. I've been doing quests nearly every day over the last several months and I'm pretty good at what I do." They shifted their weight and crossed their arms in return, focusing on Po'Nee instead. "These are gifts. You obviously didn't have a good start, and so I'm trying to even the playing field for you."

They suddenly had a thought and tried to keep the same calm, stony face. "If you think you've got a handle on where you want to go and what you want to do, and if ya wanna walk the road without any more, um, help...that's fine."

Aberath grumbled under his breath as Po'Nee gave a worried look up between the two. The demon spoke up before the Nu Mou could, however. "Ain't sayin' we're not appreciative. Just didn't assume you were equipped to support someone so new at this."

Po'Nee glanced up at him. "Hey...you were the one who was talking about not jumping to conclusions about people, Aberath."

The demon glowered sharply back down. "Watch it, kid."

Po'Nee shrunk a bit, then looked helplessly back to Elvy. "Um...Elvy's taught me so much already, Aberath." He shifted his gaze to the demon again. "I don't think we're ready to be on our own yet..."

"I ain't sayin' we are," Aberath seethed before huffing and reaching down to poke the Nu Mou, his frustration melting away. "Just that you were ready and rarin' to hit the road yesterday morning for your big boy adventure." He looked at Elvy, briefly peering past them at Lily, as well; the tailor, however, had already busied herself with laying out the pants Po'Nee had selected, measuring them while consulting the notes with the Nu Mou's measurements. "How 'bout we got check out weapons together, yeah? Give the nice lady time to kindly adjust the kid's pants."

His eyes locked with the Elezen's "Maybe we can find somethin' that ain't gonna break your bank. An' then what if we work together to repay you? Gifts or not, I think it might be good for Po to learn he ain't gonna get handed everything he needs down the line."

"We did already sign up for a job together!" piped up Po'Nee, which brought forth a bemused expression from the demon as he tossed an inquisitive look toward Elvy.

Elvy quirked an eyebrow at the demon's thoughtfulness toward Po'Nee's future welfare. But they weren't going to argue. "Yeah, I can agree to that. We'll go get a weapon, and knock out the job. I can show you how to deal with quest originators and any specific tasks they might have. Then we can stop back here on the way to the Commons to turn in the card. Sound good?"

Po'Nee's features showed a bit of apprehension -- it was one thing to just talk about having a job...it was another to think about _doing_ it, though. He swallowed and then looked up at Aberath. "Is...is that okay?"

"The hell you askin' me for, kid?" Aberath retorted mildly. "You're the one out here bein' the big brave new quest-master, ain'tcha?" The demon half-smiled and then nodded vaguely in Lily's direction. "Thanks for your help with this li'l bastard and for makin' me look like a dumbass." He tossed a lazy salute before nudging the Nu Mou toward the door.

"Y-yeah, Lily, thank you! I, um, I look forward to coming back!" Po'Nee called out.

She lifted her head from the desk with a smile, waving to the trio. "The pleasure was all mine, Po. Good luck on your first quest, I'll be waiting to hear about it," the tailor replied cheerfully, returning to her work as they headed out of the shop.

"So...so what kind of weapons do they have?" Po'Nee asked Elvy as he trotted along at their side, Aberath striding easily behind him. "Have you ever been in there?"

"Lots of different weapons. And yeah -- I got my rapier made there, actually," Elvy answered. "We'll be able to find something for you, I'm sure."

"Never did get a chance to see that in action," Aberath remarked. He received a few uncomfortable looks from some of the random denizens they passed, and he flashed his teeth cheerfully in response. "But I'm sure the opportunity's gonna come soon enough."

Elvy led the way through the city, glaring at any white mage that looked a bit _too_ indignant about the large demon's presence. If Po trusted the guy, Elvy could extend their...acquaintanceship to him as well.

The weapons shop was a stout building of brick and stone -- it stood out a bit from the more modern facades around it, but somehow that felt appropriate. A sign hung above the wide display window: B&J's Weapons and Arms. Po'Nee couldn't help staring in wonder through the window before looking awkward as Aberath tugged on the neck of his robes to pull him toward the front door.

A thin male Viera greeted them upon entry, his expression only slightly nervous at the sight of Aberath ducking through the doorway. "Welcome, welcome! Good to see you again, Elvy." He nodded to Po'Nee and the demon. "I am Jerry. Ben is out back crafting. Is there anything we can help you with today?"

Aberath's gleaming eyes locked immediately onto the slender shopkeeper behind the counter, noting with no small delight the way he seemed a tad concerned by him. He grinned slightly. "I guess that'll depend on _you_ ," he replied coolly, leaning against a display case before swinging an arm out in a broad gesture. "Well, kid. Go on, pick somethin'. Me 'n your new pal will tell ya how dumb it looks."

The Nu Mou huffed quietly and skimmed the impressive selection. His eyes bulged a bit at the sheer amount of options. "U-um...I...I dunno even where to start," he stammered, staring first at Aberath. When he received only an amused half-grin, he shifted his gaze to Elvy. "What, um. What do you think?"

The Elezen shrugged. "I figured this is more of a backup plan just in case you run out of magic, right? You don't need to be proficient. A dagger or a sap would be fine."

Po'Nee blinked and tilted his head a bit. "A sap? What's a sap?"

"You," Aberath replied immediately. When the Nu Mou glared up at him, he snickered and reached down to pick him up beneath his arms. The short summoner opened his muzzle to complain, but before he could make a sound, he'd already been hefted onto the counter.

Aberath tossed a look at the salesman, daring him to complain. But Jerry only leaned back slightly with a wince before taking a hesitant step forward as if preparing to assist Po'Nee if he tumbled off. The demon grunted in satisfaction, then lightly poked Po'Nee's hip. "A sap's kinda like this...dull beatin' stick. Gives even li'l skinny-armed fucks like you a bit more _oomph_ when ya swing it."

Po'Nee nodded slowly before turning toward the nearest shelf and trying not to make sheepish eye-contact with the Viera. "Uuumm...okay..." He didn't see _either_ of the two suggested items off-hand. And so he reached out to grab a pair of short swords, holding them both up awkwardly while peering back down at his companions. "Eh?"

"I don't think you'd like carrying those after a couple hours," Elvy noted with a small smile, giving a sideways glance to Aberath.

The demon snorted amusedly and tipped his head downward. "Really? _That's_ the first thing ya go for? The hell you thinkin', kid, you barely got to walk 'n talk at the same time. Put that shit back."

"You told me to just pick somethin'!" Po'Nee complained, huffing and then carefully replacing the twin swords. He shuffled along the top of the counter to a heavy mace. With a tilt of his head, he hefted it up curiously before wheezing as he nearly keeled over from the absurdly-weighted end, staggering sideways as he struggled to maintain his balance. "Oh jeez!!"

"Yeah, that's _definitely_ the winner right there," Aberath deadpanned, his grin only growing broader as he glanced at Jerry once again with unabashed delight.

To his credit, the Viera's response had changed to one of only _slight_ horror as he again edged a bit closer to both the young Nu Mou and the weapons he continued to try out.

Elvy resisted the urge to put a hand over their face. "You want something that won't be a hindrance. You'll have to cast spells while you carry it, after all."

Po'Nee huffed quietly, straining to put the mace back into its spot and trying even harder to avoid Jerry's gaze. "Okay, okay...that's a good point," he mumbled, wiping his hands on his robes and then eyeing the weapons on display once more. His long tail dragged behind him as he wandered further down the counter toward the lighter weapons.

He paused in front of a set of nunchaku, reaching for them...and then pausing as the demon commented: "Give ya ten seconds 'fore ya knock yourself out."

Po'Nee jutted his chin out and didn't bother to grab them, instead shifting his weight toward a sleeve of throwing stars.

"Swear to fuckin' gods, you hit me with one and I'll feed ya to the next behemoth we run into."

The Nu Mou scowled over his shoulder and then, without looking, simply reached out and grabbed the next thing he touched...

...Which turned out to be a pair of battle fans.

He held them up stupidly, flicking them open before yelping as several tiny blades sprung out from the spokes, leaning back in terror and nearly dropping the weapons.

Aberath blinked and then laughed heartily, not even bothering to hide his entertainment. "Kid, as much as I'd pay to see you dancin' around in a fight with those, think you might wanna take a step or five down for somethin' that don't require maxin' out two fuckin' skill-trees..."

The Elezen turned to Jerry. "Why didn't you show _those_ to me when I was looking for a weapon?"

Jerry looked slightly defensive. "You already knew how to wield a rapier, though. You wanted to learn new magic _and_ a new weapon?!"

Elvy scoffed. "It's not about logic. It's about how _cool_ it would look." They gestured widely with both arms. "Sparkle magic _and_ battle fans?!? That would look _so_ awesome."

Aberath tried not to grin, covering his muzzle with one hand and attempting to grunt in the most casual way possible. "I'm not sayin' that being _cool_ is important, but..." The demon crossed his arms and smirked. "It is pretty important if ya wanna make a mark, Po."

"Do...do I want to make a mark?" Po'Nee asked curiously while carefully folding the fans to avoid being cut by the sharp points.

"Fuck yeah you do," Aberath grunted. "Now put those back -- Elvy might be able to pull that off, but you ain't ready. So grab somethin' else 'fore ya hurt yourself."

The Nu Mou grumbled and gently put the dual weapons back. His eyes yet again drifted over the display and finally settled on a simple staff. He seemed hesitant, but reached out and gripped into it all the same, clutching it tightly in both hands while testing the weight.

As he turned the face the other two, Aberath tilted his head in thought. "Huh."

Mentally noting where the fans were displayed after Po'Nee returned them, Elvy then studied the summoner thoughtfully for a moment. "That could work," they offered. "Lots of mages uses staffs, after all."

"Yeah..." Po'Nee nodded a few times. "That makes sense. I remember seeing some of the older kids with them when they were ready to go on their first questions," he replied slowly as he looked down at the plain stave and rotated it between his fingers. "But...since I'm not a true mage..."

"Who gives a fuck?" Aberath interrupted with a snort, throwing his arms up. "You ran away from home to become a custom-breakin' demon summoner, kid. The fuck you care about expectations?"

Po'Nee blushed but smiled a bit all the same as he tapped the base of the rod against the counter beneath his paws. "Y-yeah...okay." He paused and then glanced at Elvy. But before he could ask his question, they grumbled in response.

"'True Mage' is not a fucking thing..." Elvy's nose wrinkled as if they'd smelled something disgusting. "You are you, and you summon and that is the truth of who you are. Don't let labels define you. You don't have to be boxed into certain choices just because some asshole says so."

Po'Nee blinked at the fierceness of their words, but started to understand after a few seconds. He nodded once more. "O-okay. Uh, so should I still try and find a dagger, too?"

"If you want one, go for it. But a staff is fine if that's all you want."

Po'Nee smiled a bit more and clutched the pole against his chest before looking awkwardly at the surprisingly-complacent Jerry. "Um...where are your daggers?"

"If you stab yourself, I ain't gonna kiss it better," Aberath threatened lightly.

The Viera offered a small smile at Aberath's words, then pointed to a wall exclusively displaying short blades. "If you see something that's similar to what you want, but not quite, we can definitely craft special orders, too."

Po'Nee nodded and made his way over, trying to look as casual as possible walking along the countertop. He gazed at the multitude of blades, whispering a soft "wow" as he reached out to trace the handle of one with several jewels inlaid along its handle.

"Fabulous, yes. Within _either_ of your price ranges, gonna say no," the demon chimed in from behind him.

The Nu Mou blushed but moved his fingers toward a shorter, plainer dagger instead. Unlike most of the others on display, it had a slightly curved blade. He wasn't sure why he wasn't drawn to it; perhaps it was simply because it wasn't like the dozens of other, more 'normal'-looking knives and daggers.

He couldn't see Aberath's silent smile. If nothing else, at least the kid was learning to accept it was okay to stand out a little.

Elvy took a moment to look over all the weapons, ensuring there was nothing new that caught their eye. Without hesitation, they once more stepped up to pay for the purchase, ignoring the sheepish pout from the Nu Mou and instead smiling and thanking Jerry for his patience.

Aberath watched the exchange wordlessly, his eyes glimmering with curiosity. He was having some trouble figuring this one out.

Po'Nee, on the other hand, looked _ecstatic_. He thanked Jerry at _least_ four or five times on their way out, tossing a few "sorry!"s in for good measure, considering both the presence of the grumbling demon and the fact he'd been all but dancing along the counters the whole time.

As they exited the store, the Elezen pulled out the quest card to double-check the client's address. "Alright, then, Pinky. Are you ready to go do your first quest?"

"It's so cool," Po'Nee whispered, staring at the dagger and absolutely missing Elvy's question.

Aberath rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I think he's ready." He reached out and flicked one of Po'Nee's long ears, making him yelp and stare up between the demon and Elvy. "Ya ready to see if you're cut out to be an adventurer?"

"No," Po'Nee blurted. He sighed and shuffled his paws. "Yes. I hope I am. Can't we just take all this cool stuff and go play with it in the park or something?"

Elvy arched an eyebrow. "Sure, if you really want. The pay's not so great, though, and you might miss out on the chance to do some _really_ awesome quests."

"Besides -- I thought you were done bein' a baby." Aberath smiled slightly. "Time to grow up, kid."

Po'Nee exhaled quietly but then nodded firmly. "Okay. Let's do this."


End file.
